JERUSALEM — Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced Sunday that the country will acquire a fourth squadron of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and second squadron of F-15IA fighter jets, a massive expansion of the Israeli Defense Force’s air power in the wake of the Iran campaign.
With each squadron amounting to 25 new warplanes, the deal would give Jerusalem among the largest fleets in the world of both the fifth-gen stealth F-35, produced by Lockheed Martin, and the Boeing-produced F-15EX, which is branded as the F-15IA in Israel.
“The deals, valued at tens of billions of NIS, include full fleet integration into the Israeli Air Force, comprehensive sustainment, spare parts, and logistics support,” Israel’s Ministry of Defense said in the statement, although no specific details on final price or timeline were shared.
“The new squadrons will serve as a cornerstone of the IDF’s long-term force development, addressing evolving regional threats and preserving Israel’s strategic air superiority,” the ministry statement added, noting that Israeli officials in the US will begin moving forward on next steps to finalize the agreement with Washington.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced the new purchases in a statement on the same day as the announcement.
“Our pilots can reach any point in the skies of Iran, and they are prepared to do so if required. We have incredible aircraft and we have incredible pilots,” he said. “Regarding strengthening: We are acquiring two squadrons of advanced aircraft – the F-35 and the F-15IA. These aircraft bolster Israel’s overwhelming air superiority, a superiority that was proven in Operation Rising Lion and now in Operation Roaring Lion.”
Spokespeople for Lockheed and Boeing could not immediately be reached for comment.
Israel first sent a Letter of Request for the F-35, which it called the F-35I Adir, back in 2009, leading to a deal in 2012. The country became an early user of the aircraft when the first F-35s arrived in 2016, and flew the first known combat operations with the jet in 2018. In 2020 a second F-35 squadron was opened as more planes arrived. In 2024, amidst a multi-front war which began with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 3, 2023, Israel moved forward to acquire a third squadron of F-35s, bringing the total of 75 airframes on order, of which 48 are currently active.
Today’s announcement would boost the F-35I fleet to 100 planes, making them a top user of the jet; According to a January 2026 fact sheet from Lockheed, only the US, UK, Italy and Japan have acquired more of the fifth-generation plane. Australia, like Israel, is seeking 100 F-35s. Over 1,300 F-35s had been delivered by January 30, 2026.
Jerusalem is still in the process of acquiring its first squadron of F-15IAs, the result of a $5.2 billion deal signed in November 2024. The decision to buy a second tranche of the Boeing-made jets comes as the US Air Force also announced plans to expand its procurement of the F-15EX.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the recent conflict with Iran, which began on February 28 with Israeli and US strikes on Iran, proved the air force’s role in protecting the country.
“The lessons of that campaign require us to keep pressing forward on force buildup, to ensure air superiority for decades to come. The F-35 and F-15IA acquisitions are central to the ‘Shield of Israel’ plan, which is designed to give the IDF a lasting qualitative edge,” he said.
“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,” Israel’s Ministry of Defense Director General Amir Baram added. “The approval of this procurement is the first major step in executing the 350-billion-NIS force buildup plan for an intense security decade ahead,” Baram noted. “The complementary capabilities of these two squadrons will give the Israeli Air Force the flexibility to handle a broad range of combat scenarios.”
IDF Military Expansion
The purchases are part of a major expansion of the Israeli Air Force in recent years. This has included the 2022 deal for heavy lifter CH-53K helicopters and new KC-46A refuelers. In addition, Israel is acquiring 30 new Apache helicopters and keeping its existing squadrons of the combat helicopters, rather than closing them.
Katz said that as part of the plan to expand the air force, the service will “be expected to lead a major technological leap — integrating autonomous flight capabilities, next-generation defense systems, and establishing Israeli military dominance, both defensive and offensive, in space.”
He said Israel “will continue to invest, to grow stronger, and to stay ahead of our enemies — to keep Israel secure today and in the future.”
Israel has also expanded its ground forces, creating new units and bolstering its armored corps, as well as rolling out new artillery. The country is also investing heavily in domestic production of munitions.
In his statement today, Netanyahu also said that as part of Israel’s investment in domestic production of armaments and defense technology, the country “will develop groundbreaking Israeli-made aircraft.” He did not elaborate on this project.
Today’s announcement also comes as the US announced it had approved Israel to procure 10,000 new Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) at an estimated price tag of almost $1 billion.
