Israel Air Force to buy 25 more F-35

Photo - Lockheed Martin

Israel Air Force plans to buy a second batch of 25 Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter jets, bringing its total number on order to about 44. Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon, visiting the United States last week, placed a preliminary order for 25 more F-35s, defense sources said without elaborating on cost.


Israel Air Force had bought 19 F-35s for $2.75 billion in 2010 in the first batch, a deal that included options for up to 75 planes. This batch of planes is scheduled to arrive in Israel between 2016 and 2018.