Israel to buy 25 F-15s, with eyes on long-distance combat punch

JERUSALEM — Israel will acquire 25 F-15IA combat jets from U.S. manufacturer Boeing for $5.2 billion, with an option to get 25 more, the Ministry of Defense announced Nov. 7.

The delivery of the planes will begin in 2031, with four to six to be supplied annually.

The deal began unfolding about a month ago, when the director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, retired Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, visited the United States, and the transaction will be carried out with American aid funds.

The flight range of a F-15IA fighter jet is about 12,000 nautical miles, and it has the capacity to carry more than 13,000 kg of missiles and bombs, according to the Israeli Boeing website.

According to the manufacturer, the planes will include an AESA radar, a missile warning system, a digital cockpit and helmet display, and fly-by-wire systems.

The ability that tipped the scales in favor the procurement, however, was the weapons-carrying capacity that will increase the Israeli Air Force attack capabilities at faraway distant locales such as in Iran or Yemen.

“This F-15 squadron, alongside the third F-35 squadron procured earlier this year, represents an enhancement of our air power and strategic reach capabilities that proved crucial during the current war,” Zamir said.

The Israeli announcement about the purchase of the planes comes a day after Donald Trump was elected U.S. president, with his term starting on Jan. 20. It also comes amid political upheaval clouding the Israeli Ministry of Defense after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Galant on Tuesday, citing a lack of trust between the two.

Tzally Greenberg is the Israel correspondent for Defense News. He has experience reporting on economic affairs as well as defense and cyber companies.

耶路撒冷——以色列国防部于11月7日宣布，以色列将以52亿美元的价格从美国制造商波音公司购买25架F-15IA战斗机，并可以选择再购买25架。

飞机将于 2031 年开始交付，每年交付四到六架。

这笔交易大约一个月前开始酝酿，当时以色列国防部总干事、退役少将埃亚尔·扎米尔访问了美国，这笔交易将使用美国的援助资金进行。

据以色列波音公司网站称，F-15IA战斗机的飞行航程约为12000海里，可携带超过13000公斤的导弹和炸弹。

据制造商称，这些飞机将配备有源相控阵雷达、导弹告警系统、数字座舱和头盔显示器以及电传操纵系统。

然而，最终促成此次采购的，是其武器携带能力，这将增强以色列空军在伊朗或也门等遥远地区的攻击能力。

扎米尔说：“这支 F-15 中队，连同今年早些时候采购的第三个 F-35 中队，代表着我们空中力量和战略投送能力的增强，这在当前的战争中被证明至关重要。”

以色列宣布购买飞机的消息是在唐纳德·特朗普当选美国总统的第二天发布的，他的任期将于1月20日开始。与此同时，以色列国防部也正处于政治动荡之中，此前总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡于周二解雇了国防部长约阿夫·加兰特，理由是两人之间缺乏信任。

特扎利·格林伯格是《防务新闻》的以色列记者。他拥有丰富的经济事务以及国防和网络安全公司报道经验。