Israel To Purchase 25 Additional F-35 Lightning II Fighter Jets From The United States
The Israeli Ministry of Defense and Israel Defense Forces have approved the purchase of 25 additional Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to help secure Israeli airspace. Following this decision, the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s procurement delegation in the United States will send an official letter of request (LOR) to the US Army’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office for approval and signing of the transaction in the coming days. Following this step, if the request, which will be submitted to the approval of the US Department of Defense (Pentagon), the State Department and Congress, is not opposed, the final agreement will be reached. The agreement, which is expected to cost around $3 billion, will be financed by the US military aid fund to Israel.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the new agreement will ensure the continuation of cooperation between American and Israeli defense industries in the production of aircraft components. According to the ministry, Lockheed Martin and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney have agreed to collaborate with Israeli defense firms on the production of aircraft components.
With the approval of the new order, the Israel Air Force’s inventory of F-35s will grow to 75, and the number of squadrons will grow to three. With the signing of a Letter of Agreement in October 2010, Israel became the first country to select the F-35 fighter jet through the United States’ Foreign Military Sales process. The Israeli Air Force received the first two of 50 fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jets ordered on June 22, 2016, at a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas. Following an intensive integration and training effort at Israel’s Nevatim Air Base, the Israeli Air Force stated that its F-35 fighter jet fleet was operationally ready in December 2017. The Israeli Air Force first used the aircraft in a series of brief military conflicts in 2018.
Israel, which has received 36 F-35 fighter jets so far, operates them from Nevatim Air Base under the command of the 140th Squadron (Golden Eagle) and the 116th Squadron (Southern Lions) which was stood up in January 2020. Israel, which will receive the remaining 14 F-35s by 2024, is projected to be able to put these additional F-35s into service between 2026 and 2027.