ISRAEL SIGNS $5.2BN DEAL FOR FIGHTER JETS FROM BOEING

Thu 07 November 2024:

The Ministry of Defence in Israel announced today that an agreement has been signed to acquire 25 next generation F-15 fighter jets from Boeing, Reuters has reported. The deal is worth $5.2 billion and is part of a broader package of US aid to the occupation state approved by the Biden administration and Congress earlier this year, with an option for 25 additional aircraft.

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

“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,” said the director general of the defence ministry, Eyal Zamir. “While focusing on immediate needs for advanced weaponry and ammunition at unprecedented levels, we’re simultaneously investing in long-term strategic capabilities.”

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Zamir noted that the Israeli regime has secured procurement agreements worth nearly $40bn since the onset of the genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza that began in October last year.

The Palestinians have no air force and no air defence systems. Israel’s “air power and strategic reach” which Zamir said has been “crucial” has been evident in attacks against a largely civilian population trapped in the Gaza Strip.

For Boeing, the F-15 agreement is the second major deal this year. In August, flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines signed a deal with the US aircraft manufacturer for the purchase of up to 31 737 MAX aircraft worth as much as $2.5bn, beating out rival Airbus.

Ido Nehushtan, president of Boeing Israel and a former general in the Israel occupation forces, said that the company’s relationship dates back to Israel’s establishment. “We will continue working with the US and Israeli governments to deliver the advanced F-15IA aircraft through standard military procurement channels,” he added.

-MEMO

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