Israel signs US$5.2 billion agreement for 25 F-15 jets
The F-15IA is the Israeli Air Force designated name for the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II fighter. (Photo: Boeing)
The Israeli defence ministry said the deal would enable the Israeli Air Force to ‘maintain strategic superiority in addressing current and future challenges in the Middle East’.
The Israeli Defence Ministry has confirmed it has signed an agreement to acquire 25 next-generation F-15IA jets from Boeing.
As reported by Reuters, the order forms part of an earlier US$20 billion arms package approved by the US State Department in August 2024. This included the sale of 50 F-15IA multi-role fighter aircraft, amounting to US$18 billion, along with update kits for Israel’s existing fleet of F-15Is.
Deliveries of the 25 ordered F-15 aircraft will be expected to begin in 2031, with between four and six aircraft delivered annually, the Israeli Defence Ministry said.
Eyal Zamir, director general of the Israeli Defence Ministry, said: “This F-15 squadron, alongside the third F-35 squadron procured earlier this year, represents a historic enhancement of our air power and strategic reach – capabilities that proved crucial during the current war.”
On the F-15IA sale in its Foreign Military Sale announcement in August, the US Defence Security Cooperating Agency said: “Incorporating F-15IAs into the Israel Air Force’s fleet of fighter aircraft will enhance Israel’s interoperability with US systems and bolster Israel’s aerial capabilities to meet current and future enemy threats, strengthen its homeland defence, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats.”
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