Posted on 06/05/24
| News Source: i24
The Israeli Ministry of Defense has officially signed an agreement with the United States for the acquisition of a third squadron of F-35 fighter aircraft.
The ministry indicates that a delegation to the United States recently signed a letter of agreement for this 3 billion dollar deal, which includes 25 stealth fighters built by Lockheed Martin. The planes will begin to be delivered from 2028, at a rate of three to five per year, the ministry said. These planes would bring the Israeli Air Force's F-35i fleet to 75 in the coming years. Only 36 of the original 50 F-35s ordered by Israel have been delivered to date. The deal amounts to some 3 billion dollars, funded by American military aid to Israel, according to the ministry. The signing of the agreement follows an almost resolved dispute between Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Betsalel Smotrich over the purchase of the F-35s. Smotrich had vetoed the signing until a Knesset committee tasked with reviewing the defense budget was convened.