“This F-15 squadron, along with the third F-35 squadron acquired earlier this year, represents a historic reinforcement of our air power”declared the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
As the ranks of the Israeli army dwindle and the reservists demand the government “to end the war” faced with the lack of military manpower, the Israeli Minister of Defense announced this Thursday, November 7, the signing of an agreement with the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing for an amount of 5.2 billion euros for the acquisition of 25 F-15 fighter planes of “new generation”financed by American aid granted to Israel, reported AFP.
The agreement provides that the combat aircraft will be delivered in batches of four to six per year, from 2031, the ministry said in a press release. These new F-15IA fighter jets will be “equipped with advanced weapons systems, including the integration of cutting-edge Israeli technologies”it is specified in the document.
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Furthermore, these planes “modernized”will understand “greater range and payload capacity and better performance in various operational scenarios.”
A historic and “crucial” reinforcement for the current war
“This F-15 squadron, along with the third F-35 squadron acquired earlier this year, represents a historic enhancement of our air power and strategic reach, capabilities that have proven crucial during the current war “, added Eyal Zamir, director general of the Israeli Defense Ministry.
40 billion in aid since the start of the war
Since the outbreak of the war against Hamas on October 7, 2023 following the bloody attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement in Israel, the Israeli air force has regularly shelled the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon.
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Tel Aviv has concluded arms purchase agreements worth almost 40 billion dollarsspecified the senior official of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, in the same press release.
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Furthermore, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced at the end of September that it had obtained anew American aid worth $8.7 billion, including $3.5 billion for the purchase of war materials and equipment. $5.2 billion is earmarked for improving Israel's air defense systems.
