A ministerial procurement committee approved the Defense Ministry and IDF’s plan to acquire two new fighter jet squadrons as part of a long-term military buildup push, the ministry announced on Sunday.
The deal includes a fourth squadron of Lockheed Martin F-35 “Adir” fighter jets and a second squadron of Boeing F-15IA aircraft. The transactions are estimated at tens of billions of shekels and include the aircraft’s integration into the Israeli Air Force (IAF), overall support, spare parts and logistics.
The Defense Ministry said the approval was given over the weekend and marks the first step in “Magen Israel,” or “Shield of Israel,” a force-building plan for the coming decade with a dedicated budget of 350 billion shekels.
The approval came less than a month after the end of the war with Iran, while the possibility of renewed fighting remains on the table.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the operational lessons from the second Iran war require Israel to continue accelerating force buildup to ensure the IAF’s superiority in the decades ahead.
“The IAF will be required to lead a technological leap in the development and integration of autonomous flight capabilities and advanced defense systems in space,” Katz said.
Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram said Israel must act now to preserve the IDF’s superiority more than a decade from now.
“The combination of the different capabilities of the two squadrons will provide the IAF with full flexibility to confront a range of combat scenarios,” Baram said.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the Security Cabinet scheduled for Sunday evening was canceled, with ministers notified of the decision in the morning. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to hold a smaller consultation instead.
Earlier Sunday, sirens sounded in Avivim after launches from Lebanon, part of the ongoing fighting with Hezbollah despite a declared ceasefire. The IDF said one of the launches was intercepted and that the results of other interceptions were under review.