Proud to be a Jew and an American

19 F-35s being sold to Israel - the first country outside of the US to fly them

Israel’s military is the most powerful in the Middle East while its air force ranks second to none globally, according to a new study conducted by military experts for the publication Business Insider. 

(T)he Israel Aerospace Industries, together with representatives of the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday that Israel will acquire a new squadron of F-35 jets from the US Army and Lockheed-Martin.

The transaction was finalized, in theory, last week between Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, during Ya'alon's US visit.

However, the deal will not be finalized in practice until the US government signs off on the deal in a public announcement.

As part of the deal, the IDF will receive 19 "stealth" aircraft at a cost of $2.7 billion, which will be deducted from US aid funds to Israel.

As early as 2016, Israeli pilots will train on the new aircraft at a US Air Force base in Arizona.