Defense officials cite Iran war lessons, decade-long buildup plan, backed by a NIS 350 billion ($118 billion) budget
The Ministerial Committee on Procurement has approved the Israel Defense Ministry’s plan to acquire two fighter squadrons from the United States simultaneously—an additional F-35 squadron and a second F-15IA squadron.
“The deals, valued at tens of billions of shekels, include full fleet integration into the Israeli Air Force, comprehensive sustainment, spare parts and logistics support,” the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
The move marks “the first step in executing the IDF’s decade-long force buildup plan, approved by the prime minister and defense minister under a dedicated 350-billion-shekel budget (approximately $95 billion),” according to the statement.