Israel will purchase a third squadron of 25 F-35 Lightning II aircraft from U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced Sunday.
A statement from the ministry did not give a timeline however if Israel would formally order this third round sometime in 2023, it may take until 2026-2027 for the deliveries to come through, the Jerusalem Post reports.
The outlet asserts the F-35 is considered crucial in the “war between wars” against Iranian proxies in Syria as well as in the event the IDF would need to eventually strike Iran’s nuclear program.
WATCH: Israel’s First F-35 Takes Maiden Flight in 2016
The additional 25 aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin will bring the number of F-35s in Israel’s air force to 75, the ministry said, adding the deal will be financed through the defense aid package Israel receives from the United States.
The fifth generation F-35’s stealth features include guided weapons, advanced sensors, and the ability to merge different sources of data.
As Breitbart Jerusalem reported, the F-35 has already significantly bolstered Israel’s combat ability opposite its foremost military enemy, Hezbollah, which according to reports has a cache of more than 120,000 rockets and radar-based surface-to-air missile batteries.
The F-35’s stealth radar will mean the batteries can be attacked from long range.