Israel signs $5.2 billion deal to acquire 25 F-15 fighter jets from Boeing

The Israeli Defense Ministry said on Thursday it had signed an agreement to acquire 25 next-generation F-15 fighter jets from Boeing, Report informs via Reuters.

It said the $5.2 billion agreement was part of a broader package of US aid approved by the US administration and Congress earlier this year and included an option for 25 additional aircraft.

Delivery of the new F-15IA aircraft will begin in 2031, with 4-6 aircraft to be supplied annually, it said.

The aircraft will be equipped with weapons systems integrated with existing Israeli weapons as well as having increased range and payloads.

"These advantages will enable the Israeli Air Force to maintain its strategic superiority in addressing current and future challenges in the Middle East," the ministry said in a statement.

"This F-15 squadron, alongside the third F-35 squadron procured earlier this year, represents a historic enhancement of our air power and strategic reach - capabilities that proved crucial during the current war," the director general of the defense ministry, Eyal Zamir, said in the statement.