Israel to order 25 F-35 fighters

The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that its mission to the U.S. has ‘officially signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) to acquire the third F-35 squadron for the Israeli Air Force.’

Israel will acquire 25 Lockheed Martin fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighters and the ‘Israeli Air Force will expand its fleet to 75 of these advanced stealth aircraft.’

“The delivery of the aircraft to the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) will commence in 2028 at a rate of three to five aircraft per year. The transaction is valued at approximately USD 3 billion, funded by U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF),” said the ministry in a statement.

The statement quoted Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as saying, “The procurement of the third F-35 squadron reflects the strength of the strategic alliance between Israel and the United States. This capability has a significant impact on arenas both near and far. At time when some of our adversaries aim to undermine our ties with our greatest ally, we only further strengthen our alliance. This sends a powerful message to our enemies across the region. I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to our partners in the U.S. Department of Defense and the wider U.S. government for reinforcing and ensuring Israel’s edge and strategic capabilities.”

The agreement was signed by Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Mishel Ben Baruch, head of the Israeli mission to the U.S. and the Israeli defense ministry said, that while the new order is ‘complete with support and maintenance services,’ “Under the original agreement between the governments, the aircraft manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, and the engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney, committed to involving Israeli industry in producing F-35 aircraft sold to U.S. forces and other countries.”

The ministry statement also quoted its Director General, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Eyal Zamir, as saying, “Initiated by the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the IDF before the war and approved by the Minister of Defense, the signing of the third F-35 squadron agreement concludes a significant procurement process and was accelerated during it. The Adir program and other initiatives we are advancing will help ensure the continued readiness of the IDF and the Air Force for multi-threat challenges in the coming years. We are grateful to the U.S. government, whose senior representatives we met last week in Washington, for supporting Israel’s security needs and maintaining its qualitative and technological edge for years to come.”