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Israel Forfeits $1 Billion Apache Helicopter Deal Amid Budget Disputes
Israel has missed its final opportunity to purchase 12 Boeing Apache attack helicopters from the United States, valued at approximately $1 billion, due to an ongoing budget dispute between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defense. The deal, which was finalized as canceled on October 7, 2026, was intended to enhance the Air Force's response time following the October 7th attacks by Hamas.
3 newsrooms · 2 languages · since
What happened
- 01Israel missed the deadline to purchase 12 Boeing Apache attack helicopters from the United States for approximately $1 billion.
- 02The deal, finalized as canceled on October 7, 2026, was intended to improve military response times following the October 7th attacks.
- 03The acquisition could have been secured for $288 million, but the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defense failed to agree on funding.
- 04The Ministry of Finance accused the Ministry of Defense of changing the deal's framework and violating budget laws.
- 05The United States granted three extensions to finalize the purchase before the final deadline was missed.
- 06Defense officials warned that other procurement plans, including refueling aircraft and transport helicopters, are now at serious risk.
Although the deal could have been secured for $288 million, a third of the total cost, the Ministry of Finance refused to approve the funding solutions. The Ministry of Finance argued that the deal, which was previously approved based on funds starting in 2030, violated budget laws and needed to be re-evaluated under current budgetary controls. The Ministry of Defense had proposed reallocating funds from other projects to meet the 2027 budgetary requirements, but this was not realized.
According to a senior defense official, the United States granted three extensions to settle the issue, but Israel failed to meet the final deadline. Defense officials expressed embarrassment and warned that other urgent procurement plans in the United States are now at serious risk, including acquiring two additional KC-46 refueling aircraft and increasing an order of CH-53K transport helicopters from 12 to 18.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: Ynetnews. Read Ynetnews’s original
The coverage
3 newsrooms on this story
Who covered it
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- Centre1
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How it broke
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Charged tone, on average across the newsrooms
