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The Ministry of Defense has asked the United States to speed up the transfer of the eight aerial refueling aircraft that Israel purchased from Boeing, the Jerusalem Post reported.
According to the report, Israel sought to immediately receive two of the eight aircraft ordered, model K-47, and to speed up the delivery of four aircraft purchased earlier this year, in order to receive them in the next two years, in order to increase the range of Air Force aircraft.
However, the deal to purchase the planes has not been finalized with Boeing, due to the Air Force's request to "replace" two planes destined for the US Air Force, a request that has now gone up to four planes.
A senior Defense Ministry official told the English-language newspaper that: "Many details of the deal remain incomplete and an agreement will need to be reached before the document is signed."
According to the source, the request to expedite the delivery of the advanced aircraft came after last year the grounding of Israel's air refueling fleet, consisting of obsolete Boeing 707 aircraft.
The planes owned by Israel are about 60 years old and are civilian planes that have been converted for aerial refueling with the help of systems that are now considered obsolete.
The size of Israel's refueling aircraft fleet is unknown.
The KC-47s are capable of refueling three fighter jets at the same speed and the required refueling time, along with the large range of newer aircraft, are equipped with ballistic armor, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-aircraft warning system and night vision system. Advanced, which allows the plane to land in complete darkness.
For foreign publications, the planes will also be equipped with Israeli technology designed to protect them from anti-aircraft fire.
Refueling aircraft are critical to the Air Force's ability to conduct extensive operations in countries such as Iran.
Upgrading the fleet of refueling aircraft is part of an extensive refueling campaign conducted by the IAF recently, in which the transport helicopter fleet will also be replaced and more evasive F-35 fighter jets, a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that gives the IAF air superiority over its late Middle East army.