The US Department of Defense has awarded Boeing an $8.5 billion contract to supply F-15IA fighter aircraft to the Israeli Air Force.
Executed under a foreign military sales framework, the agreement covers the assembly, system integration, instrumentation, and testing of 25 aircraft, with an option to produce an additional 25 jets.
Manufacturing and associated work will be carried out at Boeing’s facility in St. Louis, Missouri, with the program scheduled for completion by December 2035. The effort will be coordinated with the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
The F-15IA is Israel’s designation for the F-15EX Eagle II, developed to replace the aging F-15C/D fleet operated by the US Air Force and Air National Guard.
Based on the F-15 Advanced Eagle design, the aircraft is intended to enhance interoperability with fifth-generation platforms such as the F-22 and F-35.
Israel signaled its intent to acquire the F-15IA in 2023 as part of broader efforts to strengthen airpower amid rising regional security challenges. In 2024, Israel’s defense procurement agency placed an initial order with Boeing.
Deliveries under the program—which includes an option for up to 50 aircraft—are set to begin in 2031, with four to six jets expected to be delivered annually.
The F-15IA is 20 meters long with a wingspan of 13 meters and can be operated with additional weapons systems personnel. Its armament includes a 20-mm Gatling gun, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and guided and unguided munitions.
The aircraft features an AN/APG-82(V)1 AESA radar, IRST21 infrared search-and-track system, advanced targeting pods, and electronic warfare suites. Powered by twin GE F110-GE-129 engines, the jet can reach speeds of Mach 2.5, operate at altitudes up to 60,000 feet, and achieve a range of more than 2,100 nautical miles.
