Israel's Defense Ministry Approves Acquisition of New F-35I and F-15IA Squadrons Amid Regional Tensions

Israel's Ministerial Committee on Procurement approved a plan to acquire two new fighter squadrons over the weekend before May 3, 2026—one of F-35I stealth jets and one of F-15IA aircraft. The deals, estimated at tens of billions of shekels, include integration into the Air Force, comprehensive support, spare parts, and logistics.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced the two new squadrons in a statement on May 3, 2026, noting Israel's investment in military independence through domestic production of armaments and defense technology.

U.S. government and military officials in the near future. Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz stated that the procurement is driven by operational lessons learned from the campaign against Iran, requiring acceleration of force buildup.

Maj. Gen. ) Amir Baram, director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, described the procurement as the first and central step in implementing force buildup for a challenging security decade. Israel and the United States launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, with a ceasefire in place since April 8, 2026.

U.S. Navy maintains a blockade of Iranian ports as of May 3, 2026. The Israel Defense Forces remains heavily engaged in fighting in Lebanon as of May 3, 2026. Israeli aircraft conducted strikes against Iranian-backed Hamas militants in Gaza and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon following the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

Israeli aircraft also conducted long-range strikes against targets in Syria and Yemen in recent years before May 3, 2026. Katz added that the procurement of these squadrons is a central part of the Magen Israel program, designed to ensure the Israel Defense Forces maintains a sustained qualitative edge. The Magen Israel initiative provides a budget of close to $120 billion over the next 10 years.

It includes funding for development and integration of autonomous flight capabilities, next-generation advanced defense systems, and establishment of Israeli military superiority in space. The Magen Israel initiative has been approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the defense minister.

The United States delivers billions of dollars in military funding to Israel each year, largely tied to American weapons.

Since October 7, 2023, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars more in military funding to Israel, fast-tracking arms to the Israel Defense Forces. 58 billion for its first 25 F-15IAs in December 2025. That contract covered design, integration, instrumentation, test, production, and delivery, with an option for an additional 25.

Israel will exercise the option for an additional 25 F-15IAs. Work on the first batch of 25 F-15IAs is expected to be completed by the end of 2035. Israel received the last of its 25 F-15I Ra’am jets in 1999.

82 billion. Deliveries of the F-15IAs are planned to start in 2031, with between four and six aircraft supplied annually, according to the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Israel opted to buy a third squadron of 25 F-35Is worth approximately $3 billion in 2023, expanding the Adir fleet to 75 aircraft.

The third squadron of 25 F-35Is is scheduled to be delivered starting in 2028. Israel announced in May 2018 that it became the first operator to use the F-35 on offensive operations. S.