Israel approves deal to buy fighter jets from US

2026-05-03 13:47:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Israel said on Sunday it had approved a multibillion-dollar deal to buy two batches of fighter jets from the United States.

This purchase includes a group of F-35 multi-role aircraft from Lockheed Martin and another with F-15IA fighter jets from Boeing, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced.

This plan aims to "ensure Israel's air superiority for decades to come," Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

"The F-35 and F-15IA purchases are central to the 'Israeli Shield' plan, which is designed to give the Israel Defense Forces a qualitative and sustainable advantage. Our mission is clear: to ensure that the military has the tools, capabilities and strength to operate anywhere, anytime ," Katz added.

The F-35, a joint project between the United States and several allies, is one of the most advanced military aircraft in the world. Israel already has several dozen of the aircraft.

The Israeli Air Force played a key role in the war in Gaza, conducting one of the most intensive aerial bombing campaigns in modern history.

Thousands of strikes targeted what Israel said were Hamas targets - the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union - including tunnels, command centers, rocket launcher sites, but large areas of the territory were also destroyed, including homes, hospitals and schools.

Israel has also waged two wars with its air force against Iran in less than a year, during which its air power has been used for long-range strikes deep inside Iranian territory.

Israeli officials have described these strikes as precision strikes aimed at weakening Iran's strategic capabilities, while Iranian officials have reported airstrikes on key cities and industrial areas.

Israel recently approved its 2026 budget, which includes a billion-dollar increase in defense spending.

Israel's military spending has increased steadily since the start of the Gaza war, which was sparked by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

In addition to the recent weeks-long war with Iran, waged jointly with the US, Israel continues to face the Iranian-backed Islamist movement Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. /REL