JERUSALEM — Israel will acquire 25 F-15IA combat jets from U.S. manufacturer Boeing for $5.2 billion, with an option to get 25 more, the Ministry of Defense announced Nov. 7.
The delivery of the planes will begin in 2031, with four to six to be supplied annually.
The deal began unfolding about a month ago, when the director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, retired Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, visited the United States, and the transaction will be carried out with American aid funds.
The flight range of a F-15IA fighter jet is about 12,000 nautical miles, and it has the capacity to carry more than 13,000 kg of missiles and bombs, according to the Israeli Boeing website.
According to the manufacturer, the planes will include an AESA radar, a missile warning system, a digital cockpit and helmet display, and fly-by-wire systems.
The ability that tipped the scales in favor the procurement, however, was the weapons-carrying capacity that will increase the Israeli Air Force attack capabilities at faraway distant locales such as in Iran or Yemen.
“This F-15 squadron, alongside the third F-35 squadron procured earlier this year, represents an enhancement of our air power and strategic reach capabilities that proved crucial during the current war,” Zamir said.
The Israeli announcement about the purchase of the planes comes a day after Donald Trump was elected U.S. president, with his term starting on Jan. 20. It also comes amid political upheaval clouding the Israeli Ministry of Defense after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Galant on Tuesday, citing a lack of trust between the two.
Tzally Greenberg is the Israel correspondent for Defense News. He has experience reporting on economic affairs as well as defense and cyber companies.