Six days after it missed Washington's final deadline, Israel has signed for new attack helicopters after all. On 14 October 2026 the Israeli Ministry of Defense said it had signed an agreement with the US Department of War to buy 12 Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopters for the Israeli Air Force, with deliveries due early in the next decade.
The deal is worth roughly $1 billion, according to Israeli business daily Calcalist. It nearly died over a domestic budget fight. Israel only rescued it by moving about a billion shekels out of another programme.
Kurzinfo
- Unterzeichnet: 14 October 2026
- Buyer: Israel Ministry of Defense, for the Israeli Air Force
- Flugzeug: 12 Boeing AH-64E Apache (Echo)
- Estimated value: About $1 billion (Calcalist)
- Lieferungen: Early 2030s
- US approval ceiling: Up to 30 AH-64Es, estimated at $3.8 billion (State Department, January 2026)
- Ersetzt: The oldest Apaches in the Israeli fleet
A Deal That Almost Slipped Away
In January, the US State Department approved a possible sale of up to 30 AH-64Es and related equipment to Israel, at an estimated $3.8 billion. That figure is a ceiling, not a contract. What Israel has now signed is a first batch of 12.
Even that nearly fell through. According to Calcalist, the Defense and Finance ministries spent months arguing over who would fund about $288 million of the cost. Washington granted three extensions, and Israel still missed the final ordering deadline the week before. The cabinet then approved a transfer of about NIS 1 billion to the defense budget, mostly taken from planned 2027 to 2029 cuts to a development programme for Arab communities. Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram then told Israel's defense mission in the US to sign.
Why Israel Wants the Echo
The Israeli Air Force flies a mix of older AH-64A and AH-64D Apaches. The new helicopters are meant to replace the oldest of them. The AH-64E is Boeing's current production version, with more powerful engines, improved drivetrain and avionics, and the ability to control drones from the cockpit.
Israeli officials have called the purchase urgent, citing lessons from the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023, when the IDF needed helicopters able to respond within minutes. The Apache fleet has been in heavy use ever since.
The Long Wait
The catch is time. Deliveries are scheduled for the early 2030s, which means the current A and D models will have to keep flying for years yet. The remaining 18 helicopters from the US approval are still only an option, and Israel has not said whether or when it will order them.
Israel National News report on the signing of the agreement for 12 AH-64E Apaches.
Sources: Israel Ministry of Defense; Calcalist; VIN News; Defence Blog; Aviation Week
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