Israel Boosts Cooperation with Boeing, Purchases 25 Advanced Fighter Jets
by i24 News
An El Al Boeing 787 sits at Ben-Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Aug. 23, 2017. Photo: Reuters / Amir Cohen / File.
i24 News – Boeing is expanding its cooperation with Israel Air Force, the head of the aerospace industry giant’s military branch said on Monday.
During his visit to Israel, Ted Colbert announced the company will supply Israel with four KC-46 tankers with an option of delivering four more in the future. Boeing will also supply Israel with 25 new and sophisticated fighter jets, F-15 IA (Israel Advanced). Similarly, an option is stipulated of delivering 25 more of those jets in the future.
The aircraft are set to arrive in 2025 and will give Israeli fighter jets the option of staying in the air for a much longer time period. The highly sophisticated KC-46 tanker will gradually replace the aging Boeing 707 currently used by the Israeli Air Force, and which is set to be phased out.
The 707, it should be recalled, was originally designed as a commercial plane and adjusted in Israel to be used a tanker; with the KC-46 it is a completely different story. It is significantly larger, and therefore has the ability to carry much more fuel than the 707, which will allow mid-air refueling.
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Due to its size, the KC-46 can also provide other services, such as operating as a field hospital which may operate in hostile areas.
The F-15 IA has a long range and the ability to carry a large number of sophisticated weapons, therefore allowing the Israeli Air Force to work in far away arenas.
Why is all of this necessary?
There is no need for a long range fighter jet or an option to refuel mid-air when operating just across the border in Gaza, Lebanon, or Syria. No one would specifically say the name “Iran” but that is clearly the target. With the news coming out of Tehran about Iran having enriched uranium to an 84 percent level, the moment of truth may be quickly approaching.
