Business Standard

Israel buys $ 3.1bn attack helicopters, refuelling planes from US: Ministry

Israel's Defense Ministry has signed deals with the US to purchase a dozen Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky helicopters and two Boeing KC-46 refuelling planes, Israeli officials have said.

US, United States

Photo: ANI

IANS Jerusalem

Israel's Defense Ministry has signed deals with the US to purchase a dozen Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky helicopters and two Boeing KC-46 refuelling planes, Israeli officials have said.

In a statement, the Ministry on Friday estimated the scope of the helicopter agreement at $2 billion, and the two refuelling aircraft at $1.1 billion.

The Ministry said the Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky helicopters will replace the Israel Air Force's current "Yasur" helicopters. The deal also includes an option to buy six additional helicopters.

The first helicopters are expected to arrive in Israel in 2026, Xinhua news agency reported.

The platform of the Boeing refuelling planes will be adapted to "meet the Israel Air Force's operational requirements and Israeli systems will be integrated into aircraft," the Ministry added.

 

According to the Ministry, the procurement deals are part of a large-scale program that the Ministry and military have been undertaking over the last year and a half, with the aim of strengthening Israel's "military capabilities, force buildup and preparedness to face existing and future threats."

--IANS

int/khz/

 

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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First Published: Jan 01 2022 | 8:23 AM IST

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