Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger is author of“Second Thought: a US-Israel Initiative”
July 13, 2025, bit.ly/44vOofS

Does the US extend to Israel an annual military foreign aid, or does the US make an annual investment in Israel, which yields to the US taxpayer an annual Return-on-Investment (R-o-I) of a few hundred percent?

*Israel was the first country to use the F-35 in combat in (and since) 2018, has been overcoming critical technical and mechanical problems. The daily feedback from Israel has dramatically enhanced the F-35’s reliability, maintainability and capabilities.

* The October 26, 2024 and June 13, 2025 Israeli Air Force offensive on Iran were accomplished by using 100 (in October) and 200 (in June) US-made combat aircraft (F-35, F-16 and F-15), showcasing the battle-proven edge of the US combat aircraft over the global competition in China, Russia, Britain, France, Sweden and Italy.

-This proven edge of the F-35 has resulted in mega-billion of dollars in savings for the US research and development, enhancing US competitiveness in the global market.

-This also yielded a mega-billion-dollar increase of USexports, expanded the US employment base, and upgraded battle and training tacticsfor the US Air Force.

*According to the July 3, 2025 EurAsian Times, “Israel's success in extending the range of its F-35I Adir stealth jets by [unprecedently] adding drop tanks and conformal fuel tanks [without compromising the stealth profile], and successfully deploying them for bombing Iran has impressed upon the US Air Force the need to increase the range of [its own fleet of F-35]....

-Israeli aircraft had to fly through Turkey, Jordan, or Syria, and then Iraq [over 1,100 miles each way without being refueled and detected] to reach Iranian airspace.... The Israeli F-35s are modified in the following main areas [and mostly shared with the US manufacturer and Air Force]: command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I), electronic warfare, and weapons integration [as well as integrating new AI algorithms and predictive maintenance and counter measures]... and the US Air Force can also benefit from studying these modification....

-Any augmentation of range without midair refueling [which undermines the stealth capabilities] will be beneficial for the US, as it could be involved in a confrontation with China in the Indo-Pacific, [preferring to reduce dependence on mid-air refueling, which lacks stealth and is vulnerable in war]....”

*The June 14, 2025 issue of the Arlington, Virginia-based Defense.Info maintained that “Pentagon officials have acknowledged that Israel’s experience provides [the US] valuable insights into sustaining F-35 operations during high-intensity conflicts, particularly in the Pacific theatre, where the US military anticipates operating F-35s across vast distances with limited logistical support....”

*The June 13, 2025 issue of Defense.Info notes that “The Israeli F-35I “Adir” represents a revolutionary advancement in regional air power, featuring unprecedented modifications [mostly shared with the US] that no other F-35 operator has been permitted to implement.... Israel’s F-35I has fundamentally altered the strategic balance in the Middle East, while establishing new benchmarks for fifth-generation fighter integration.... Revolutionary Israeli modifications transform standard F-35A capabilities....

-“The F-35I features unique Middle Eastern operational optimizations including conformal fuel tanks enabling 1,700+ kilometer missions without aerial refueling, electronic warfare systems specifically designed to counter the Russian S-400 and Iranian air defense systems, and enhanced C4I integration with Israeli intelligence networks. These modifications [mostly shared with the US] enable the F-35I to operate as an independent strategic asset while maintaining interoperability with allied forces through standard NATO datalinks. Multi-platform integration creates unprecedented force multiplication.

-“The Israeli Air Force pioneered a sophisticated integration strategy combining F-35I stealth capabilities with F-15I “Ra’am” strike power, creating a force multiplication effect that exceeds the capabilities of either platform alone. This revolutionary approach leverages fifth-generation intelligence gathering with fourth-generation firepower through carefully orchestrated operational sequences....

-The F-35I serves as an airborne sensor network, providing 360-degree situational awareness and threat warnings to conventional fighters operating in adjacent areas.... This multi-platform doctrine has been validated through thousands of combat sorties across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.

-“Israeli F-35I aircraft have conducted the most extensive combat operations of any F-35 variant worldwide, accumulating verified combat experience [mostly shared with the US] against sophisticated threats that no other nation has encountered....

-Israeli F-35I aircraft achieved multiple historic firsts including the world’s first F-35 combat missions in Syria (2018), first F-35 air-to-air kills against Iranian drones (2021), and first operational use of external weapons configuration in combat....

-“The F-35I integration represents a fundamental shift from platform-centric to network-centric warfare, with the aircraft functioning as a central sensor node connecting Israel’s multi-layered defense architecture. Integration with Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems creates comprehensive coverage across all threat ranges while providing real-time intelligence sharing through advanced datalinks.

-“Israel’s F-35I capabilities [mostly shared with the US]... enable multi-domain operations combining physical strikes, electronic warfare, and intelligence gathering in single missions that create strategic effects far exceeding traditional air operations.

-“Pentagon officials note Israeli F-35I operations provide critical lessons for U.S. Pacific strategy, particularly regarding sustained operations in contested environments and integration of allied technologies... and enhanced cooperation with U.S. forces through joint exercises and operations....”

The bottom line:

Israel is immensely grateful for receiving a few hundred advanced US military systems, which are critical to its survival. This, however, is not a one-way-street, but a mutually beneficial two-way-street interaction. Each one of the hundreds of US military systems is employed by Israel, which serves as a unique showroom (Triple-A Store), battle-tested laboratory and innovation center of the US defense and aerospace industries, and a prime generator of battle tactics formulationfor the US Armed Forces.

Therefore, the US does not extend foreign aid to Israel, but makes an annual investment in Israel, which yields the US taxpayer an annual Return-on-Investment of severl hundred percent.