Israel Defense Ministry (IMOD) Director General, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram instructed the IMOD Mission to the US to sign the contract with the American government to procure two refueling aircraft for the Israeli Air Force, manufactured by Boeing, once approval of the Israel Defense Procurement Ministerial Committee is obtained.
This is a follow-on contract with the US Government for procuring two advanced refueling aircraft in addition to four previously purchased KC-46 aircraft. This will expand the IDF’s new refueling fleet to six aircraft. The new aircraft will be equipped with Israeli systems and adapted to the Israeli Air Force's (IAF) operational requirements.
The contract’s scope is estimated at approximately half a billion dollars and is funded through US aid. It represents a significant milestone in the extensive force buildup that the IMOD is conducting for the IDF.
They will replace the IAF’s fleet of Re’em Boeing 707 tankers, with the first two deliveries expected in 2026 and an additional two aircraft at a later date.
Israel ordered the aircraft from Boeing in a deal worth approximately $930 million with the US government that allows the IAF to purchase up to eight tankers to replace its Re’em (Boeing 707) tanker aircraft, many of which are over 60 years old.
IMOD Director General, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram said that “the fifth and sixth refueling aircraft will strengthen the IAF - the IDF's long-range strategic arm - enabling it to reach distant theaters with greater force and scope. We will continue to work together to strengthen the IDF in the current campaign and toward future challenges.”
The strategic importance of refuelling aircraft
The aircraft are strategic assets required for long-range missions to countries like Iran and Yemen, and played a critical role in the 12-day war with Iran, carrying out hundreds of aerial refuelings over hostile territory.
Israel’s fleet of Re’em planes, the number of which remains confidential, is composed of former civilian aircraft adapted for military uses such as aerial refueling for fighter jets, as well as its fleet of transport aircraft.
Able to carry 20 extra fuel tanks while modified for aerial refueling, the 707s are adapted to carry passengers as well as cargo such as military equipment and ammunition from the United States.
The new KC-46 tankers can refuel jets with 1,200 gallons of fuel per minute by their fly-by-wire 55-foot refueling boom. It also can have wing air refueling pods allowing three jets to be refueled at once within three to four minutes.
With a range of 11,830 km with the capacity to unload some 207,000 pounds of fuel, the KC-46 can refuel over 64 different types of aircraft and would allow dozens of jets to remain airborne for up to 12 hours at a range of 11,000 kilometers.
President of Boeing Israel, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Ido Nehushtan said that “Boeing takes pride in its longstanding partnership with Israel, a relationship that dates back to the nation’s establishment. The KC-46A tanker aircraft will provide the world’s most advanced multi-mission aerial refueling capability to the IAF.”