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Israel signs multi-billion dollar deal to buy US helicopters, planes

The deal is a part of an upgrade of Israeli air force capabilities amid local media speculations that the refuelling planes could be crucial for carrying out an air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Reuters

US President Joe Biden's administration previously approved the potential sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel in May.

Israel has signed a deal with the United States to buy 12 Lockheed Martin Corp CH-53K helicopters and two Boeing Co KC-46 refuelling planes at an estimated cost of around $3.1 billion.

The deal, signed on Thursday, is part of an upgrade of Israel's air force capabilities and includes an option to buy six additional helicopters, an Israeli Defence Ministry statement said on Friday.

It said the first helicopters were due to arrive in Israel in 2026.

Brigadier-General Shimon Tsentsiper, chief of materiel for the air force, told Israel's Army Radio on Thursday that the refuelling planes on order would not be delivered before 2025.

He said Israel was trying to bring forward the delivery of the KC-46s, and eventually wanted a total of four of them.

Israeli media have speculated that the refuelling planes could be crucial for carrying out a long-threatened air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Tsentsiper said the air force's current refuelling capacities were sufficient for its missions.