The Israeli government and Boeing Co. announced a $927 million deal on Thursday to purchase four KC-46A refueling tankers for its air force. The first planes are slated to arrive in 2025.
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"I would like to thank the US Department of Defense for approving the important agreement for the provision of fuel tankers to Israel," Defense Minister Benny Gantz said. "The refueling aircraft that are being purchased, along with the procurement of the F-35 squadron, helicopters, submarines, and advanced munition, will enable the IDF to face security challenges near and far."
The tankers would replace the decades-old, repurposed Boeing 707s that Israel now employs for mid-air refueling, and they might help Israel indicate its seriousness about a long-threatened strike on Iran's nuclear installations, reported Reuters.
However, the Jewish Institute for National Security of America lamented the fact that the refueling tankers won't arrive until 2025.
"The possibility of a new, insufficient Iran nuclear deal underscores the importance of the United States expediting KC-46s to Israel to enhance deterrence against Iran," it tweeted.
Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
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