How Many Fighter Jets Does Israel Have, And What Kinds Are They?

In July 2023, the IAF and the U.S. launched a $3 billion deal to procure the F-35 Lightning II, bringing its fleet up from 25 aircraft to 75. The increase adds additional platforms to the existing inventory, derived from a 2010 deal. The F-35 is Israel’s most advanced fighter, which the nation designates the F-35I Adir — which means “Mighty One” in Hebrew. The IAF received its first delivery of F-35s in 2016, and put them into active service the following year.

Israel was the first nation outside the nine-nation co-development group to procure the F-35, and it’s the only Middle Eastern nation to fly the advanced aircraft. By all accounts, the F-35 is the most advanced fighter in the world, and the IAF has used them in its ongoing conflicts with neighboring belligerents. The IAF’s F-35 Adir jets have had several combat successes, having first shot down two Iranian drones near Israeli airspace in 2021. Israel has also employed F-35s in its ongoing conflict with Hezbollah, and it was the first nation to use the sophisticated aircraft in combat.

Lockheed-Martin refused to modify the aircraft prior to delivery, so the IAF modified it via local defense contractors. The modified platform incorporates domestically produced electronic warfare systems, sensors, and countermeasures as well as a data link functionality best suited for IAF operations. These advancements help make the F-35I one of the most advanced combat aircraft ever employed, and a critical component in Israel’s large fleet fighters.