The US Secretary of State has approved a possible sale of foreign arms to Israel. The sale includes Boeing F-15IA and F-15I+ fighter jets and related equipment with an estimated value of $18.82 billion.
The planned contract includes up to 50 new F-15IA multi-role fighter jets and upgrades for 25 existing F-15I aircraft. It also includes various related equipment such as engines, radars, navigation pods, missile launchers and modern avionics. Delivery of the new aircraft is scheduled to begin in 2029.
This order follows a request from the Israeli Air Force in January 2023.
F-15IA is the Israeli designation for the F-15EX Eagle II, which is expected to feature a number of improvements over the previous standard, such as increased payload capacity, fly-by-wire controls, a state-of-the-art digital cockpit, improved sensors, advanced radar systems and electronic warfare capabilities.
The F-15I Ra’am is a locally adapted variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle, which has been in service with the Israeli Air Force since the early 1990s.
“The integration of the F-15IA into the Israeli Air Force’s fighter fleet will improve Israel’s interoperability with U.S. systems and strengthen Israel’s air capabilities to counter current and future enemy threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serve as a deterrent against regional threats,” the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
While the F-15EX cannot match the capabilities of existing 5th generation fighters, it is expected to be a more cost-effective alternative for missions such as air defense or base defense. The aircraft can also carry large quantities of munitions that can be guided to targets by jets with superior sensor capabilities, such as the F-35 fighter jet that Israel already operates.
In June 2024, the Biden administration reportedly approved the deployment of 25 additional F-35I “Adir” fighter-bombers. This follows a September 3, 2023, request from the Israeli Air Force to field a third squadron of F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, which would bring the total fleet to 75 aircraft.
