srael on Sunday approved a multi-billion-dollar deal to acquire two combat squadrons of fighter jets from the United States, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying it would “reinforce” its air superiority.
The purchase includes a squadron of F-35 multi-role stealth fighters from Lockheed Martin and another of F-15IA warplanes from Boeing, Israel’s defence ministry said.
The plan aims to “ensure Israel’s air superiority for decades to come,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
“The F-35 and F-15IA acquisitions are central to the ‘Shield of Israel’ plan, which is designed to give the IDF (Israeli military) a lasting qualitative edge,” he said.
The F-35, a joint project between the United States and a number of allies, is one of the world’s most advanced military aircraft. Israel already operates several dozen of the jets.
Netanyahu said it would bolster Israel’s “overwhelming air superiority” but pledged to start building its own weapons and fighter planes.
“Our pilots can reach anywhere in the skies of Iran and are ready to do so, if needed,” he said.
“Over the next decade we will add 350 billion shekels ($118 billion) to the defence budget in order to manufacture such weaponry in Israel and not be dependent on foreign suppliers,” he said.
“At the same time, we will develop ‘blue-and-white’ groundbreaking aircraft. This will change the entire picture,” he said, using a term for products developed in Israel.
The defense ministry added that the new squadrons will serve as a cornerstone of the military’s long-term force development, addressing regional threats and preserving Israel’s strategic air superiority.
“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,” said ministry Director General Amir Baram, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
The recent war with Iran “reinforced just how critical the US-Israel strategic relationship is, and how essential advanced air power remains,” he added.
Israel’s air force played a central role in the war in Gaza, carrying out one of the most intense aerial bombardment campaigns in recent history.
Thousands of strikes targeted what Israel said were Hamas positions, including tunnels, command centres and rocket launch sites, but vast areas of the densely populated territory were devastated, including homes, hospitals and schools.
Israel has also fought two wars 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 the strikes as precise and aimed at degrading Iran’s strategic capabilities, while Iranian officials have reported repeated waves of air raids on key cities and industrial areas.
Israel recently approved its 2026 budget, which includes an increase in defence spending of billions of dollars.
Israel’s military spending has steadily increased since the war in Gaza began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
In addition to its recent weeks-long war with Iran, fought alongside its ally the United States, Israel continues to battle the Iran-backed Islamist movement Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
