What the Israeli Air Force Has in the Sky

As the Middle East country wages war against Islamic militant group Hamas, FLYING takes a look at its fighter fleet.

Kimberly Johnson

Monday, October 09, 2023 at 04:58 PM ET

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As of January 2023, Israel had received 36 F-35 fighters. [Credit: Israel Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) intensified airstrikes against what it identified as Hamas strongholds in Gaza City's Rimal area.
The IAF operates a fleet of 581 aircraft, ranking it 9th globally, and forms a significant part of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which is ranked 18th worldwide.
Israel is expanding its advanced aircraft capabilities, including increasing its F-35 "Adir" stealth jet fleet to 75 and acquiring KC-46A tankers and CH-53K King Stallion helicopters.
These acquisitions are largely financed by substantial U.S. defense aid, with Israel receiving $3.3 billion for military assistance in fiscal 2023.

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The Israeli Air Force (IAF) ramped up airstrikes against what it identified as Islamic militant terrorist strongholds Monday. Dozens of IAF fighter jets targeted structures including multistory buildings in the Rimal area of Gaza City, the service said.

“Rimal serves as a hub for the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip, from which many attacks against Israel were launched,” IAF said in a message on X, formerly known as Twitter.