Israeli request for airpower!

According to Israeli sources, the Israeli Ministry of Defence (MoD) recently requested for 25 Boeing F-15IA Strike Eagle II (F-15EX) fighter aircraft. In August 2021, Scramble Magazine first wrote on the quest for new F-15IAs for the Heyl Ha’Avir (IAF, Israeli Air Force).

The MoD have sent a Letter of Request (LOR) to the US government. The LOR is the first step fort he purchase of military hardware and equipment through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process, after which details on numbers and pricing are negotiated.

The earliest deliveries of the F-15IA are expected in 2028, but the Israeli government may ask the US to condense that timeline.

The IAF not only plans a new squadron of F-15IA (Israel Advanced) fighters, but they also want to upgrade the existing fleet of around 25 F-15I Ra’am to the same level as the new F-15IA, which would then receive the designation F-15I+.

According to Boeing Defense, the F-15EX has the capability to carry more weapons than any other fighter in its class and can launch hypersonic weapons up to 22 feet long and weigh up to 7,000 lbs. The IAF expresses an urgent need for more F-15s that can be loaded with some specific types of weapon systems developed in Israel to destroy hardened targets.

As advertised by Boeing Defense, the F-15IA will include the most powerful computer flying in the air and in space today and the most powerful AESA radar. In addition, the F-15IA and F-15I+ will be equipped with premium Israeli technologies such as a fly-by-wire flight control system, AESA radar, a missile approach warning system, a huge touchscreen cockpit display and a digital helmet-mounted display, ensuring a perfect view of the tactical situation in the air and on the ground.

According to a Israeli defence source budget limitations may affect the ‘scope’ of the F-15I upgrade.

Image by Boeing Defense