The 10-year $38 billion agreement is the largest US military aid package in recorded history.
F-15 fighters have been used by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) for some 40 years, and the two-seater version is used both as a trainer and for air-to-air combat. The Israeli fleet will now include the F-35I Adir and F-15s. Several F-15s will be used in combat-ready squadrons and some will be used for spare parts.
The IAF stated "The new aircraft serve as a technical and maintenance opportunity. Their arrival will allow us to use them as spare parts, improving the operational availability of the Buzz fighter jets," according to Jerusalem Online.
The US will supply Israel with the record $38 billion military aid package over the next decade. The agreement takes effect October 2018.
At a Washington signing ceremony Israeli security official Jacob Nagel said that the aid package "strikes the right balance between the needs and capabilities of both countries" and "enables Israel to better defend itself, by itself" against threats.
