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The Israeli air force wants to buy new F-15EX fighters as well as additional F-35 stealth fighters. But it probably can’t do both at the same time. It must choose.“Just like the U.S., Israel is wrestling with whether to buy Lockheed’s all-new, stealthy F-35s or the latest upgrade of Boeing’s long-serving F-15,” Breaking Defense noted.> But Israel must make this decision under extraordinary external and internal pressure. From without, it must conduct air strikes on Iranian-linked targets in Syria amidst rising tensions with Iran.> > From within, it must find funding despite a growing budget deficit and an embattled Netanyahu government headed for its second general election in five months this September [2019]. “A decision and an acquisition must start now,” an Israeli senior source told Breaking Defense.The Israeli air force reportedly wants to buy a couple dozen each of F-15EXs and F-35s at a combined cost of around $6 billion. “Given the tight budget, the IAF has to choose which fighter to buy first and which to delay for several years,” according to Breaking Defense.The United States subsidizes Israel’s weapons-purchases at a cost of billions of dollars annually.The Israeli air arm already operates 25 F-15I strike fighters as well as the first few of an initial batch of 50 F-35s. Around 50 F-15C/Ds and 200 F-16s round out the IAF’s fighter force.

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