by Goldie Katz, Yonah Jeremy Bob, Anna Ahronheim
The contract will provide funding for “design, integration, instrumentation, test, production, and delivery of 25 new F-15IA aircraft for the Israeli Air Force,” according to the Pentagon.
The United States Department of Defense announced that Boeing was granted an $8.6 billion defense contract for the F-15 Israel Program in a press release detailing Pentagon contracts published early Tuesday morning.
The firm-fixed-price contract will provide funding for “design, integration, instrumentation, test, production, and delivery of 25 new F-15IA aircraft for the Israeli Air Force,” according to the release.
The option for the production of 25 additional F-15IA fighter jets is also available under the announced contract.
Work on the project is set to take place in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in the next 10 years by December 31, 2035.
The purpose of the purchase is to keep Israel’s air force viable and updated deep into the future, in case strikes against Iran or Hezbollah become necessary.
The old F-15s date back to the late 1970s.
Already in 2020, the Israeli defense establishment wanted to start the process of replacing them.
However, six rounds of elections delayed Israel from placing a clear order with the US and Boeing, and the issue also sat for unexplained reasons during the term of former prime minister Naftali Bennett.
Finally, in January 2023, the Defense Ministry sent an official Letter of Request (LOR) for 25 F-15 EX fighters from the US. Since then, however, the 2023-2025 Israel-Hamas War stalled the process.
Israel then made requests for a number of adjustments to the existing F-15 EX, which has led to further delays of the delivery date.
According to Boeing, the F15-EX “carries more weapons than any other fighter in its class, and can launch hypersonic weapons up to 22 feet long and weighs up to 7,000 pounds.”
With various upgrades to the earlier models, including more efficient engines and fly-by-wire avionics, the F-15IA has a 25% decrease in operating costs per flight hour. The fly-by-wire, considered one of the biggest changes to the jet in decades, also reduces maintenance costs, and with advanced sensors and displays, fewer aircraft would be required to carry out missions.
The F-35I, by comparison, while having the advantage of its stealth and advanced surveillance capabilities, is limited in the weapons it can carry, as they must be stored in internal munition boxes to maintain a low radar signature.This means that, although the F-35 was often the first aircraft to engage in combat against Iran, Hezbollah, and Syria’s military during the war, the F-15s, along with Israel’s fleet of F-16s, frequently did the lion’s share of bombing enemy targets.
Moreover, while Israel has not recently been tested in dogfight-style combats between fighter jets, the F-15 is arguably superior in aerial combat, should the need arise.
The F-15IA, which has a combat range of 4,000 kilometers, also carries the AESA radar, which is considered the world’s most advanced radar system. It also has an advanced cockpit system that provides complete situational awareness for the crew, and a cockpit and digital helmet display on a giant touch screen that ensures a complete view in the air and on the ground.
US-Israel defense contracts
The announcement came after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. During the visit, Netanyahu also met with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.In mid-December, the Pentagon similarly announced a $12 million contract with Colt’s Manufacturing Company to produce arms for the IDF.
The Colt Manufacturing contract funds will be used to produce M4A1 carbine rifles and related equipment in West Hartford, Connecticut. The project is set to be completed by June 30, 2026.
Goldie Katz, Yonah Jeremy Bob, Anna Ahronheim
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-881754
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