A week after a ministerial committee approved the IAF’s major procurement deal, the Defense Ministry on Monday said it is buying two aerial refueling tankers.
The Boeing KC-46a tankers are intended to replace Israel’s aging Re’em fleet, which consists of converted Boeing 707s.
Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Mishel Ben Baruch, head of Defense Ministry’s mission to the US, “signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for two KC-46 Tanker Jets to be manufactured by the Boeing Corporation,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement over the weekend.
“In the next phase, two additional tanker aircraft will be acquired, out of a total of up to eight that will make up the future fleet,” the statement said.
As part of the agreement, the aircraft will be fitted with unique Israeli systems in accordance with the operational requirements of the IAF. The first aircraft delivery is expected by the middle of this decade.
In the next phases of the multibillion-dollar deal between Israel and the US, the Defense Ministry will exercise its options to procure another F35 squadron to replace the heavy-lift helicopter platform and to buy advanced munitions.
Regarding the heavy lifters, there are still discussions between the IAF and the Defense Ministry on the choice of helicopter. The two main options are Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook and Lockheed-Martin’s CH-53.
According to reports, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Eshel want to purchase the V-22 Osprey, a dual-rotor helicopter that combines vertical takeoff ability with the speed of a plane.
There are still disagreements regarding how many helicopters and which kind will be within budget limits, people familiar with the matter said.
Following Monday’s announcement, Gantz said he welcomes the progress in the procurement plan so far, which is critical.
“It is a cornerstone of the IDF’s security concept,” he said. “I would like to thank our great friend the United States for supporting the State of Israel on all levels. We will continue to work to complete the agreements that will enable the IDF to fulfill its purpose and to move forward with the missions facing us in the various arenas near and far, at sea, in the air, on land and in cyberspace.”
The procurement plan is based on US security assistance, and it “is crucial to strengthening the IAF and for the IDF’s QME (Qualitative Military Edge) in the decades to come,” the statement said.
“The plan includes the procurement of a new fleet of F-35 aircraft, KC-46a refueling aircraft, helicopters to replace the Yasur, advanced munitions, air-defense systems, marine and ground platforms, cyber systems and more,” it said.