Israel to buy 25 more F-35 stealth jets from U.S. in $3B deal

Israel is set to purchase a third squadron of F-35 stealth fighters from the U.S. government in a $3-billion deal.
The 25 additional aircraft, produced by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), will expand Israel’s fleet of F-35 jets by 50% to 75 jets.
The deal is set to be finalized in the coming months, Israel’s defense ministry said. The purchase of the jets will be financed through a U.S. defense aid package.
Both Lockheed Martin (LMT) and Pratt & Whitney, a Raytheon Technologies (RTX) subsidiary, have committed to involving Israeli defense industries in the production of aircraft components.
The move to expand Israel’s arsenal of stealth fighter jets comes at a time of growing tensions between Israel and Iran. Israel has previously used F-35 jets to shoot down Iranian drones.
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