Israeli Blackhawk helicopters perform with Israeli national and military flags during an air show at a graduation ceremony of Israeli pilots at the Hatzerim air force base in the southern Negev desert, near the city of Beer Sheva, on Dec. 22, 2021. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)
JERUSALEM, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Defense Ministry has signed deals with the United States to purchase a dozen Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky helicopters and two Boeing KC-46 refuelling planes, Israeli officials said Friday.
In a statement, the ministry estimated the scope of the helicopter agreement at 2 billion U.S. dollars, and the two refuelling aircraft at 1.1 billion dollars.
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.
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 said.
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." ■
