Israel Plans to Purchase Fuel Tanks for Its F-35 Fleet

Why the F-35’s Biggest Strength Also Creates Its Biggest Limitation

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Recently, news surfaced that Israel demanded external fuel tanks for its F-35 fighter jets. For those who don’t know, the F-35 is considered one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world, according to U.S. claims. It works not only as a fighter jet, but also as an electronic warfare (EW) and flying radar platform.

It has an extremely low radar signature almost like a ghost for many air defence systems. There are many buyers of the F-35, and Israel is one of them.

Talking about the numbers, as of May 2026, the Israeli Air Force operates around 48 F-35I “Adir” jets. Yes, the F-35I Adir is the most advanced fighter jet in the Israeli Air Force (IAF). Israel signed procurement contracts worth around $9 billion for these aircraft.

And yes, every F-35I Adir purchased from Lockheed Martin is delivered without external fuel tanks, just like other standard F-35 variants globally.

But here is the problem with the F-35 — it has a very high fuel consumption rate, especially when using afterburners. It carries around 10,000 liters of internal fuel, but at full afterburner power, it can burn fuel extremely quickly. In normal operating mode, however, it can fly for several hours.

The issue becomes more serious during secret operations or long-range missions where countries need greater fuel capacity.

Older 4th and 4.5-generation fighter jets usually had better payload and external fuel-carrying flexibility.

But because the F-35 is designed around stealth, most of its fuel has to be carried internally to maintain its low radar signature.

So there is no doubt that it is a brilliant machine, but to achieve stealth, it also compromises some fighting range and flexibility.

Coming to Israel, why they wanted to extend the range of their existing F-35 fleet tells a lot about the Israel–Iran war, where Israel is using its fighter jets to bomb targets linked to Iran, Syria, and Lebanon.

For constant flights and long-range operations, they need their fighter jets’ range to be extended.

What the Israeli Defence Minister expressed concern about was the F-35’s inability to perform longer-range and deeper strike missions without frequent mid-air refueling.

According to him, this limitation was restricting several major operations and reducing operational flexibility.

“extend the aircraft’s operational range, reduce reliance on aerial refueling, and enhance operational flexibility across long-range missions.”

Q1. Will Israel get the fuel tank for the F-35?

Yes, Israel is officially acquiring external fuel tanks for its F-35I fleet. they have paid $34 million for this

Q2. Will they be added to all fighter jets?

No, they will not be permanently installed on every aircraft, nor used for every mission.

Q3. What range will extend after adding the external fuel tank?

2,200 kilometers (around 1,360 miles).

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