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Brian Everstine
13 August 2024
Boeing F-15EX
Photo credit: Boeing
On August 13, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of 50 new Boeing F-15s to Israel. The sale is part of a long-awaited $18.8 billion deal that was marked by the fallout from the war between Israel and Hamas.
The contract includes 50 new F-15IA aircraft and 25 mid-life update conversion kits for 25 of the country’s existing F-15Is. The contract includes 120 GE Aerospace F110-GE-129 engines, related equipment and other logistical support. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2029.
On the same day, the State Department also approved the sale of 30 Raytheon AIM-120C-8 missiles valued at $102.5 million, as well as individual mortar and tank shells and medium tactical vehicles.
“The integration of the F-15IA into the Israeli Air Force’s fighter fleet will improve Israel’s interoperability with U.S. systems and strengthen Israel’s air capabilities to counter current and future enemy threats, strengthen the defense of the homeland, and serve as a deterrent against regional threats. Israel will have no difficulty in incorporating these items and services into its armed forces,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
The approval by the U.S. State Department came about two months after opponents on Capitol Hill dropped their opposition to the agreement over concerns about civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip.
“The planned sale of this equipment and support will not change the basic military balance in the region,” the agency adds.
The F-15s are built at Boeing’s St. Louis plant. The F-15IA is a modified version of the new F-15EX that Boeing is building for the U.S. Air Force, and in turn a variant of the F-15QA for Qatar.
The purchase had long been planned, as had other purchases of Lockheed Martin F-35s, but internal political debates led to a delay in May. Israel signed the $3 billion contract for 25 F-35Is in June.
