Israel will procure two more squadrons of F-35I and F-15IA fighter jets from the United States, following lessons learned from the recent Iran war, the Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.
Over the weekend, a defense procurement committee made up of senior ministers approved a Defense Ministry plan to acquire a fourth F-35I squadron from Lockheed Martin, and a second F-15IA squadron from Boeing, in deals that are valued at tens of billions of shekels, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said the jets “will serve as a cornerstone of the IDF’s long-term force development, addressing evolving regional threats and preserving Israel’s strategic air superiority.”
Following the committee’s approval, Defense Ministry director general Amir Baram instructed the ministry’s mission to the US to “move forward with finalizing the agreements with American government and military counterparts in the coming period.”
The aircraft would eventually bring the Israeli Air Force’s F-35I fleet to 100 and F-15IA — the Israeli variant of the advanced F-15EX — fleet to 50 in the coming years.
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Currently, Israel has 48 F-35I jets, following an initial order of 50. Another 25 F-35s were ordered in 2023, which are expected to be delivered starting in 2028. Israel ordered 25 F-15IA jets in 2024, and the first are expected to be delivered starting in 2031.
A US Air Force F-15EX Eagle II assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, flies a training mission over southeast United States, March 23, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Blake Wiles)
In a statement, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the recent war in Iran “once again demonstrated the Israeli Air Force’s power and its decisive role in protecting Israel.”
“The lessons of that campaign require us to keep pressing forward on force buildup, to ensure air superiority for decades to come,” he said.
Baram said that “alongside immediate wartime procurement needs, we have a responsibility to act now to secure the IDF’s military edge ten years from now and beyond.”
“Operation Roaring Lion reinforced just how critical the US-Israel strategic relationship is, and how essential advanced air power remains,” he said, referring to the recent 40-day conflict with Iran.
Outgoing Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar said the new procurement would “add significant strength” to the IAF.
“The important decision to acquire the two new squadrons is the result of thorough and prolonged staff work that we carried out in the Air Force. The recommendation was based on years of professional evaluation and operational necessity, from a broad perspective on force buildup and its adaptation to the evolving threats in the Middle East,” Bar said in remarks published by the military.
He said that the planning had the goal of “ensuring the air superiority of the Air Force and the State of Israel for many years to come.”
“The procurement is the result of close cooperation with the United States military, which intensified during Operation Roaring Lion and constitutes a strategic component of national security,” Bar said, adding that “the new squadrons will add significant strength to the Air Force and will enable us to continue operating with determination, flexibility, and superiority against any challenge we are required to face.”
Shipments from US carrying 6,500 tons of military gear arrive in Israel
Last week, two cargo ships and several planes carrying 6,500 tons of military equipment from the United States, including thousands of munitions and light armored utility vehicles, arrived in Israel, the Defense Ministry said.
The ships, which docked at the Haifa and Ashdod ports, were carrying “thousands of air munitions, ground munitions, military trucks, JLTV combat mobility vehicles, and additional equipment,” the ministry said.
Military equipment is loaded off a cargo ship at Ashdod Port, in footage released by the Defense Ministry on April 30, 2026. (Defense Ministry)
The 6,500 tons of equipment were loaded onto trucks and taken to various military bases across the country.
Baram said the procurement operation “will continue and intensify in the coming weeks.”
The ministry said that since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, more than 115,600 tons of military equipment have arrived in Israel on 403 flights and 10 ships.
Katz said the ministry’s goal is “to ensure that the IDF receives all the necessary means so that it can return to operating at full strength against our enemies at any time and in any place required.”
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