What You Need to Know: Israel has secured a $5.2 billion agreement with Boeing to receive 25 advanced F-15EX Eagle II jets, designated locally as the F-15IA, with delivery starting in 2031. This deal will further enhance the Israeli Air Force's capabilities, equipping the jets with state-of-the-art Israeli and U.S. technologies, including extended range and increased payload.
-The acquisition will also allow upgrades to Israel's existing F-15I Ra'am fighters to an F-15I+ standard.
-The new jets will join the ranks of Israel’s growing air force fleet, bolstering its strategic advantage in the region.
Boeing has inked a $5.2 billion deal with Israel, which will see the Middle Eastern ally receive twenty-five new F-15EX Eagle II aircraft – with the first advanced multirole fighters to begin arriving in Israel in 2031. Batches of four to six fighters, which will be locally designated as the F-15IA, will be supplied annually.
The F-15s will be partially financed via U.S. military aid to Israel.
The F-15IAs will be "equipped with cutting-edge weapon systems, including the integration of state-of-the-art Israeli technologies," the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced. "The upgraded aircraft will feature enhanced range capabilities, increased payload capacity, and improved performance across various operational scenarios. These advantages will enable the Israeli Air Force to maintain its strategic superiority in addressing current and future challenges in the Middle East."
Washington approved the sale of 50 aircraft to Israel in August, along with 25 upgrade kits for existing F-15I Ra'am fighters. The kits will upgrade the Israeli Air Force's fleet of F-15I Ra'am fighters to the F-15I+ standard. The Ra'am is the Israeli variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle.
"Boeing is proud of its longstanding partnership with Israel, spanning from the nation’s founding until today," Boeing Israel President Maj. Gen. (res.) Ido Nehushtan. "The company will continue to work closely with the U.S. and Israeli governments to supply the advanced F-15IA aircraft within established military sales procedures.”
The IAF has operated the original F-15 Eagle since 1977, and it is service with the U.S. partner that it has seen the majority of its more than 100 aerial victories – with no combat losses. In 2014, the IAF also adopted the F-15E Strike Eagle.
According to Maya Carlin, writing for The National Interest, "The two-seat Eagle variant is equipped with an array of advanced avionics, weapons, communications, and electronic warfare capabilities. Unlike the F-15E Strike Eagle, the Ra'am is a dual-role fighter that combines air superiority and long-range interdiction."
The Ra'am is equipped with a Hughes APG-70 synthetic aperture radar, an Elbit display and sight helmet system, and the Kaiser holographic head-up display system. The APG-70 radar was developed to allow the Ra'am's crew to detect targets regardless of weather conditions.
"Each F-15I features a single 20mm M61MA1 Vulcan internal automatic cannon and can carry up to 18,000 pounds of fuel and munitions," Carlin added.
Israel has expressed interest in upgrading to the F-15EX since 2018 but only issued a formal request last year.
"The Defense Ministry is constantly working, according to a structured plan, to strengthen the resilience and force-building capacity of the IDF," Defense Ministry Director-General Eyal Zamir said.
As the fighters arrive the IAF will form a new F-15 squadron, joining a third F-35I Adir squadron that was also raised earlier this year.
"This represents an unprecedented enhancement for our air force and the IDF’s long-term strategic capabilities, whose critical value was demonstrated in the Iron Swords war," Zamir added. "At this time, the Defense Ministry is promoting deals to strengthen all branches of the IDFin the air, at sea, on land, in intelligence and beyond."
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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