July 2 (UPI) -- Israel will purchase more than two dozen F-35 fighter jets from the United States, in a multibillion-dollar deal that will expand the Middle Eastern country's fleet of the world's most advanced stealth aircraft by 50%, its ministry of defense said Sunday.
The deal for 25 jets is valued at some $3 billion and is to be financed through U.S. aid to Israel, the ministry said in a statement, adding that as part of the agreement, both Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the aircraft, and Pratt & Whitney, the maker of its engine, have committed to involving Israeli defense industries in production of components.
The ministry states that the procurement will see the air force's current fleet of 50 aircraft grow to 75.
The announcement comes as tensions between Israel and Iran climb, and as the Israeli Air Force has conducted airstrikes into neighboring Syria.
On Sunday, fighter jets targeted a battery in Syria that had launched at least one anti-aircraft missile at Israel, it said.
"Fighter jets attacked an anti-aircraft battery in Syrian territory tonight (Sunday), in response to the launch of an anti-aircraft missile from Syrian territory toward the territory of the state of Israel earlier tonight," the Israeli Air Force said in a tweet.
"In addition, the planes attacked other targets in the area."
Israeli military officials said the missile launched from Syria that prompted the retaliatory attack had exploded mid-flight, resulting in zero casualties.
