Photos show Israel’s F-15I Ra’am ‘Thunder’ fighter jets used in strikes against Iran’s nuclear program

Following the 1991 Gulf War, during which Iraq fired Scud missiles into Israeli cities, Israel acquired the long-range planes in order to bolster its air defense system.

The Israeli Air Force considered an array of models before ordering 25 F-15I planes for $2.4 billion in 1994, The New York Times reported.

Israel’s then-minister of defense, Itzchak Mordechai, formally accepted the planes in a ceremony at Boeing’s plant in St. Louis in November 1997. The first two F-15I jets then arrived in Israel in January 1998.

“From a purely technological standpoint, the F-15I is a masterpiece. It will provide the qualitative edge Israel requires to preserve peace,” Boeing’s then-CEO, Phil Condit, said in a statement in 1997.

The planes were also customized with decals of the Star of David, a six-pointed Jewish symbol that appears on the Israeli flag.

With DASH technology from Israeli manufacturer Elbit Systems, pilots can aim weapons just by looking at a target.

The F-15I’s APG-70 synthetic aperture radar can also operate in any weather conditions.

F-15I fighter jets can fly a maximum of 4,450 kilometers, or 2,765 miles, without refueling, according to the Israeli Air Force.

The planes can also be refueled while airborne, enabling them to fly even longer distances.

At low altitudes, the F-15I’s maximum speed is 1,482 kilometers per hour, or around 920 miles per hour.

The sale also included tank ammunition, mortars, and military vehicles. Israel won’t actually receive the new F-15Is until 2029, the Associated Press reported.

Israel’s counteroffensive airstrikes and military operations in Gaza following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, have resulted in widespread Palestinian fatalities, increasing scrutiny of US military aid to Israel.

In September, Israel launched an airstrike on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut that killed Hassan Nasrallah, who had led the Iran-backed militant group since 1992.

The Israel Defense Forces also targeted Hezbollah’s military infrastructure across southern Lebanon and launched a ground offensive.

The Israeli Air Force shared photos of F-15I fighter jets loaded with what appeared to be 2,000-pound BLU-109 bombs known as “bunker busters” following the airstrikes.

Iran responded by launching a missile attack on Israel. US warships helped intercept the Iranian missiles, and White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Iran’s attack was “ineffective.”

Beginning June 13, the Israel Defense Forces have bombarded Iran’s nuclear facilities, military sites, and weapons manufacturing capabilities in an effort to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon and launching further attacks.

Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, some of which have evaded Israel’s air defenses and damaged residential and commercial buildings.

Photos released by the Israel Defense Forces show F-15I Ra’am jets preparing to strike Iran, as well as the involvement of Israel’s F-35I Adir stealth fighter jets. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the Israeli Air Force had conducted over 600 aerial refuelings since the beginning of the strikes, dubbed Operation Rising Lion.