🇮🇱/🇺🇸— Israel has signed an agreement with the U.S. to purchase 12 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for the Israeli Air Force, the Defense Ministry announced.

The deal follows government approval to transfer 1 billion shekels ($323 million) to the Defense Ministry to fund the procurement.

Deliveries of the AH-64E “Echo” variant, the latest and most advanced version of the Apache, are expected to begin in the early 2030s.

Defense Minister Israel Katz described the acquisition as a "critical step in the IDF's force buildup, one that will strengthen its operational capabilities against a wide range of threats and contribute to the security of the State of Israel in the years to come."