The Pentagon announced late Monday that Boeing has received an $8.6 billion contract to supply Israel with 25 new F‑15 fighter jets, with an option for 25 more, a deal unveiled shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida Monday.
The agreement calls for Boeing to design, integrate, equip, test, build and deliver 25 new F‑15IA aircraft — an upgraded version of the Israeli Air Force’s F‑15I Ra’am fighter — with an option for another 25 aircraft, the Defense Department said.
The contract was awarded through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program, under which the U.S. government sells defense equipment to allied nations. Work will be performed in St. Louis and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2035, according to the Pentagon. The United States is Israel’s largest arms supplier.
The Defense Ministry signed the multibillion‑dollar deal for the next generation of F‑15s in November of last year, agreeing to purchase 25 advanced Boeing warplanes with U.S. military aid funding and an option to buy 25 more in the future.
The current U.S. military aid package to Israel, which began in 2018, is set to expire in 2028, and it remains unclear what terms a successor pact for the next decade might include.
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Then‑Defense Ministry Director General — now Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir signs the f-15 procurement agreement
(Photo: IDF)
The authorization for the contract was signed last year by then‑Defense Ministry director general — now IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir — during a visit to the United States. The purchase followed negotiations led by the Defense Ministry procurement delegation working with the Israeli Air Force.
The new F‑15IA jets are to be equipped with the latest weapons systems, including advanced Israeli‑developed technologies, as well as enhancements designed to extend flight range, increase payload capacity and improve performance across a range of operational scenarios.