Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem

Jerusalem, May 4: The Israeli Ministry of Defence (Israel Ministry of Defence) has approved a large-scale procurement plan to acquire two new fighter jet squadrons as part of its long-term military expansion strategy.

Under the approved plan, Israel will simultaneously purchase a fourth squadron of F-35 stealth fighter jets from Lockheed Martin and a second squadron of F-15IA aircraft from Boeing. The decision was cleared by the Ministerial Committee on Procurement following proposals presented by Defence Minister Israel Katz and IMOD Director General Major General (Res.) Amir Baram.

Officials said the deal is valued at tens of billions of Israeli shekels and includes full fleet integration into the Israeli Air Force, along with logistics support, spare parts, and long-term maintenance systems.

The procurement forms the initial phase of Israel’s broader decade-long force buildup plan, which has been approved under a 350-billion-shekel defence budget backed by the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu also announced a separate initiative to develop counter-drone capabilities, saying the project has begun and will strengthen national air defence against emerging threats.

Defence Minister Katz said the new acquisitions are central to the “Shield of Israel” strategy aimed at ensuring long-term air superiority. He added that future upgrades will focus on advanced technologies, including autonomous flight systems, next-generation defence platforms, and enhanced capabilities in space-based military operations.

According to defence officials, lessons from recent military operations have reinforced the need to accelerate force modernization and maintain technological superiority.

The IMOD stated that the integration of the F-35 and F-15IA fleets will significantly enhance operational flexibility, allowing the Israeli Air Force to respond to a wide range of combat scenarios while strengthening both offensive and defensive capabilities.