Through the publication of the list of contracts signed up to December 29, the United States announced that it has awarded the production contract for the new F-15IA fighters that will equip the Israeli Air Force. The agreement will require an investment of US$ 8.577 billion to be carried out. According to official information, this will allow the service to acquire a total of 25 aircraft to reinforce its fleets, while leaving the door open for an additional 25 units should the corresponding option be exercised.
Delving into some of the details released by the Pentagon, it should be noted that the design, testing, and production work will be carried out at the plant operated by the U.S. company Boeing in St. Louis, Missouri. Regarding the established timelines, the goal is to complete the work covered by the agreement by December 2035, which suggests that once in Israeli hands, the F-15IA aircraft would begin replacing the older F-15 variants currently in service.
Additionally, it is important to highlight that this operation will take place under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, defined by the Pentagon as a sole-source acquisition by the Government of Israel, with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base) acting as the contracting authority. Furthermore, given Israel’s status as a key partner for Washington in the Middle East, it was indicated that a total of US$ 840 million from FMS funds was committed at the time of the contract award.
Looking at the prior background that led Israel to finalize this agreement, it is worth recalling that in early 2023 the country had already submitted the corresponding Letter of Request (LOR) to the United States to formally initiate the purchase of new F-15EX fighter jets, which would be designated F-15IA as a variant tailored to the requirements of the Israeli Air Force. As is the case with its U.S. counterpart—still in the process of incorporating these aircraft into its own fleets—Israeli authorities reportedly view the platform as the perfect complement to operate alongside their Lockheed Martin–built F-35 stealth fighters, with which Boeing’s aircraft originally competed for a place within the USAF.
Moreover, it should be noted that the sale of these new F-15 fighters is not the only one Boeing has planned to contribute to the modernization of Israel’s air capabilities. In particular, the company has also promoted the KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft as a complementary tanker platform, which Israel has already acquired and even employed during its air strikes against Iran. In August of the current year, local media reported that progress was being made toward the purchase of two additional aircraft, reflecting yet another sign of the strengthening ties between Israel and Boeing.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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