Israel Approves Purchase of Two Squadrons of Fighter Jets from the United States
On May 3, Xinhua News Agency reported from Jerusalem (reporters Pang Xinyi and Chen Junqing) that a spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Defense stated on the 3rd that the Israeli military procurement department has approved the purchase of two squadrons of fighter jets from the United States.
On the same day, the Israeli Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying that Israel will procure one squadron of F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin in the United States and one squadron of F-15IA fighter jets from Boeing in the United States, with a total amount reaching several billion new shekels. The procurement plan includes the full integration of the new fighter jets into the Israeli Air Force, as well as comprehensive maintenance, spare parts, and logistical support for the aircraft.
This will be Israel's fourth squadron of F-35 fighter jets and the second squadron of F-15IA fighter jets purchased from the United States.
Amir Baram, a senior official in the Israeli Ministry of Defense, stated that this procurement is the first step in the Israeli military's "force buildup plan" under a "high-risk security situation" for the next decade, which has been approved by the Israeli government and allocated a special budget of 350 billion new shekels (approximately 119 billion USD). Israeli Defense Minister Katz said that the lessons learned from military operations against Iran require Israel to "continue advancing air power development" to "ensure air superiority for the coming decades," and that Israel will continue to invest in military capabilities, constantly enhancing its strength and always "staying ahead of its enemies."
Israel approved the procurement of two squadrons of fighter jets from the United States on May 3, 2023. The deal includes one squadron of F-35s from Lockheed Martin and one squadron of F-15IAs from Boeing, totaling hundreds of billions of new shekels. This marks the fourth F-35 squadron and second F-15IA squadron purchased by Israel, as part of a military build-up plan to ensure air superiority.
- Israel's Defense Ministry approved the purchase of two fighter jet squadrons from the U.S.
- The procurement includes one squadron of F-35s and one squadron of F-15IAs.
- The total cost of the procurement is in the hundreds of billions of new shekels.
- This is Israel's fourth F-35 squadron and second F-15IA squadron purchased from the U.S.
- The procurement is part of a military build-up plan approved by the Israeli government.