Overview
- Israel’s Ministerial Committee on Procurement, which met Sunday, cleared the purchase of a fourth F‑35 squadron from Lockheed Martin and a second F‑15IA squadron from Boeing.
- The Defence Ministry said its U.S. mission will now work with American government and military counterparts to finalize contracts covering aircraft, integration, sustainment, spare parts, and logistics.
- Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026 and continue into the early to mid‑2030s, expanding the Israeli Air Force’s stealth and long‑range strike capacity.
- Officials outlined longer‑term targets of roughly 100 F‑35s and at least 50 F‑15IAs, building on a December Boeing award for 25 F‑15IAs with an option for 25 more.
- Leaders cited lessons from the recent Iran campaign and said the broader plan also boosts domestic arms production and a new counter‑drone project, which the government says is already under development.