The Pentagon awarded Boeing an $8.6 billion contract to supply 25 F-15IA fighters to Israel, with an option for 25 more. The deal, processed as a Foreign Military Sale, follows a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Work will be carried out in St. Louis and completion is expected by Dec. 31, 2035. Pro-Palestinian and anti-war protesters had urged an end to U.S. military aid amid the Gaza conflict, but those calls were not adopted under the Trump or Biden administrations.
Pentagon Awards $8.6 Billion Contract to Boeing for 25 F-15IA Jets for Israel (Option for 25 More)
An F-15 jet releases a flare as it flies over Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border, July 20, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
WASHINGTON, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The Pentagon announced on Monday that it has awarded Boeing an $8.6 billion contract under the F-15 Israel Program to supply the Israeli Air Force with 25 new F-15IA aircraft, with an option to purchase an additional 25 jets.
Contract Scope and Delivery
According to the Pentagon, the agreement "provides for the design, integration, instrumentation, test, production, and delivery of 25 new F-15IA aircraft for the Israeli Air Force, with an option for an additional 25 F-15IA aircraft." The sale is being handled as a Foreign Military Sale to Israel, reflecting the long-standing role of the United States as the country's principal arms supplier.
Work Location and Timeline
Contract work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri. The Pentagon said the program is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2035.
Political Context
The announcement comes after a meeting in Florida between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Demonstrations by pro-Palestinian and anti-war groups across the United States have called for an end to U.S. military assistance to Israel amid the conflict in Gaza, but those calls were not acted upon during the administrations of President Donald Trump or President Joe Biden.
Note: Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio and Nick Zieminski.
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