The IDF announced on Sunday that three F-35i aircraft have landed at Nevatim Air Force Base, purchased from US defense giant Lockheed Martin, which increases Israel's quantity of F-35 aircraft to 42 out of 50, which are already fully purchased.
These three aircrafts actually arrived last week but were only announced on Sunday as part of a long-standing deal spaced over a period of years to raise Israel from 25 to 50 F-35s.
The Jerusalem Post has learned that in around two more months, three more aircraft will be delivered, with another three being delivered later in 2025 and the last two of the existing order in 2026.
But that is not the end of F-35 deliveries.
In 2023, Israel, the US government, and Lockheed Martin signed a deal for 25 additional F-35s to eventually raise the number of aircraft to 75, which will mean a third squadron, and additional steps in that process took place in mid-2024.
F35 deliveries starting in 2027
The first third squadron of F-35 deliveries will start in 2027
Israel signed on to the F-25 program in 2010, and its F-35 program became operational in 2017.
During the current war, the F-35 has undertaken over 15,000 flight hours on all fronts, which Israel must cope with, from Iran to Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza.
In addition, over the course of the war, the IDF said that it modified its F-35 aircraft to be able to fire JDAM munitions from its wings as opposed to its original design of dropping munitions out of the aircraft's belly.
Even before the war, the F-35 was considered crucial in the MABAM “war between wars” against Iranian proxies in Syria.
It has stealth technology, which makes it more able to strike targets throughout the Middle East with impunity, and its surveillance and intelligence capabilities far exceed Israel’s older F-16 and F-15 aircraft.
For example, it is said to be easily capable of outwitting Iran’s S-300 anti-aircraft missile defense system, and possibly even the S-400 system, whereas other Israeli aircraft would have more trouble.
Outgoing Lockheed Martin Israel CEO Joshua (Shiki) Shani has previously said, “We are proud to support the Israel Defense Forces in providing the F-35, and honored that the Israeli government has announced its intent to purchase additional F-35s.
“The Israel Air Force has proven its capabilities in critical operations with the 116 and 140 Squadrons, and we are looking forward to building on this strong performance. With a combination of stealth, sensor fusion and electronic warfare, the fifth generation the F-35 will ensure the Israel Air Force stays ahead of current and evolving threats,” he said.
At the same time, Israel has moved forward on some parallel advancements and investments in the air force’s future.
After years of delay, the Defense Ministry has been moving forward with 25 F-15 EX Boeing fighters from the US to help replace its aging F-15 aircraft.
In November 2022, Israel finalized an agreement to purchase four Boeing KC-46A midair-refueling aircraft.
Each of those new aircraft elements is also some years from being delivered to Israel but would also eventually boost Jerusalem’s capability for attacking Tehran’s nuclear program, if needed.
