Israel moves ahead with the purchase of 12 AH-64E Apache helicopters from the US after the funding deadlock

Israel’s Ministry of Defence announced on Wednesday, October 14, that the deal to buy 12 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters is going ahead after government approval. The ministry’s director general, Brig. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram, instructed the ministry’s mission in the United States to sign the agreement with the Pentagon. The helicopters will be of the “Echo” version, the newest Apache variant, and deliveries are expected in the early part of the next decade.

A deal that was considered lost

The announcement comes days after the deal had been considered lost. Israel had missed the final deadline for the order, after months of disagreement between the Defence and Finance ministries over the Air Force budget and the financing of about $288 million. The government subsequently approved about 1 billion shekels for the purchase, a sum that comes mainly from cuts to the five-year programme for Israel’s Arab communities.

Defence Minister Israel Katz called the procurement “a critical step for building the IDF’s forces,” which will strengthen its operational capabilities against a wide range of threats. Baram said the agreement was made possible by “creative solutions” found jointly with the American side, with no compromise on operational needs, and that the ministry will sign further critical agreements for platforms, munitions and interceptors.

Boeing Israel president Brig. Gen. (res.) Ido Nehushtan noted that the choice of the Apache E follows the selection of the KC-46A flying tankers and the decision for a second squadron of F-15IA fighters.

The wider programme

The 12 helicopters are the first phase of a broader programme. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress, in an announcement published in March 2026, of a potential sale of up to 30 AH-64E helicopters to Israel with a total estimated value of $3.8 billion, financed through the Foreign Military Financing programme. The package includes 70 T700-GE-701D engines, 30 M-TADS/PNVS target acquisition and night vision systems and 30 AN/APG-78 Longbow fire control radars. The final quantity and the value of later phases have not been announced.

The missed deadline had raised concern in the Israeli Ministry of Defence about other urgent procurement programmes in the US, such as additional KC-46 flying tankers and CH-53K helicopters.

Israeli solutions for modernising Apaches have also been discussed for Greece’s AH-64A helicopters.