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Boeing F-15EX
The U.S. State Department on Aug. 13 cleared the sale of 50 new-build Boeing F-15s to Israel as part of a long-awaited $18.8 billion deal that had been caught up in the ramifications of Israel’s war with Hamas.
The deal includes 50 new F-15IA aircraft and 25 Mid-Life Update modification kits for 25 of the country’s existing F-15Is. The deal includes 120 GE Aerospace F110-GE-129 engines, associated equipment and other logistical support. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2029.
The same day, the State Department also approved the sale of 30 Raytheon AIM-120C-8 missiles at a cost of $102.5 million, plus separate mortar and tank rounds and medium tactical vehicles.
“Incorporating F-15IAs into the Israel Air Force’s fleet of fighter aircraft will enhance Israel’s interoperability with U.S. systems and bolster Israel’s aerial capabilities to meet current and future enemy threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats. Israel will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency says in an announcement.
The State Department approval comes about two months after opponents on Capitol Hill dropped opposition to the deal amid concerns of civilian casualties in Gaza.
“The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region,” the agency adds.
The F-15s will be built at Boeing’s St. Louis facility. The F-15IA is a modified version of the new F-15EX that Boeing is building for the U.S. Air Force, in turn a variant of the F-15QA for Qatar.
The buy has long been in the works, along with additional purchases of Lockheed Martin F-35s, though internal political debates caused a delay in May. Israel signed the $3 billion order for 25 F-35Is in June.
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