A US Air Force KC-46A with refueling boom lowered
The United States will sell four Boeing KC-46 refueling planes to Israel till 2025, which can facilitate strikes against targets in Iran, some 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from Israel.
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing signed a contract with the US Department of Defense to supply Israel with the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus planes needed for strikes far outside the regular flight range of Israeli jets, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
They are scheduled to arrive in 2025 at the earliest, so that the Israeli air force can replace its aging fleet of 707 refueling tankers.
Israel has asked that this date be moved up — which would require the US to give up its spot in line to receive the planes from Boeing — but Washington has not accepted the request yet. The potential sale of eight KC-46s to Israel for some $2.4 billion was approved by the State Department back in March 2020.
The announcement came the same day that President Joe Biden had a 45-minute-long phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, in which the two discussed “global and regional security challenges, including threats posed by Iran.” "The President underscored US commitment to never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon," the White House said in a statement.
“This contract further strengthens the US-Israel alliance and continues the decades-long relationship between Boeing and the Israeli Air Force,” said Ido Nehushtan, president of Boeing Israel. “The KC-46A will benefit Israel’s efforts to ensure national security and regional stability.”