Israel has approved a plan to acquire two new fighter squadrons of Lockheed Martin F-35 and Boeing F-15 aircraft, advancing a long-term military buildup strategy valued at 350 billion shekels ($119 billion).
The proposal includes a fourth squadron of F-35 fighters and a second squadron of the F-15IA, the latest variant tailored to Israeli requirements. The move follows a December 2025 agreement under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, which awarded Boeing an $8.6 billion contract to supply 25 F-15IA aircraft, with options for an additional 25.
The F-15IA is derived from the F-15EX and is expected to complement Israel’s existing fleet of legacy F-15s by adding greater payload capacity, range and updated avionics for strike missions.
Israel’s Air Force currently operates 87 F-15 aircraft across multiple versions, alongside 45 F-35 fighters and 222 F-16C/D jets, forming a layered combat fleet built around both high-end strike capability and numerical strength.
The F-35 component of the plan builds on Israel’s use of the F-35I “Adir,” a customized version of the F-35A. Israel has unique authorization to integrate domestically developed systems into the aircraft, including electronic warfare suites, jamming capabilities and locally produced weapons.
Officials said the new squadrons will serve as a cornerstone of future force development, maintaining air superiority and adapting to evolving regional threats. Recent operations involving Iran were cited as reinforcing the role of advanced air power in long-range strike and deterrence missions.
The agreements will now move to final negotiations with U.S. government counterparts before contracts are formalized.
