The Israel Ministry of Protection has signed a contract value greater than $34 million with Cyclone, a completely owned subsidiary of Elbit Programs, to develop and combine an extended-range functionality for the F-35I.
On Might 14, 2026, Elbit Programs introduced on social media that the Israeli Ministry of Protection had signed a contract to develop and combine an extended-range functionality for the F-35I “Adir” fighter plane. Valued at roughly $34 million, this system is a part of Israel’s ongoing efforts to reinforce the plane’s operational flexibility and readiness for long-range missions within the years forward.
In accordance with the Elbit Programs press launch, that is being carried out to “lengthen the plane’s operational vary, scale back reliance on aerial refueling, and improve operational flexibility throughout long-range missions.”
It’s reportedly part of the Israeli Ministry of Defence’s “power buildup technique, led by Protection Minister Israel Katz and Director Common Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, to strengthen Israel’s readiness for an intense safety decade forward and preserve the nation’s aerial and strategic superiority within the area.”
Some media retailers and observers have speculated that the tanks might be conformal gasoline tanks, partly as a result of the brand new system shall be based mostly on an current Cyclone design initially developed for the F-16, and since the Israeli Air Pressure’s F-16I Sufa is famously fitted with CFTs. Nonetheless, at this stage, nothing within the official wording means that the F-35I tanks will essentially be conformal. The language used to date refers solely to an extended-range functionality and exterior gasoline tanks, leaving open the potential of underwing drop tanks, conformal tanks, or one other external-tank configuration.
The choice to acquire exterior tanks is probably going based mostly on expertise in conducting Israel’s battle in Iran, through which F-35I ‘Adir’ strike fighters noticed intensive use over Iranian army websites.
F-35I plane normally carry 18,000 kilos of gasoline giving them an unrefueled fight radius of roughly 700 miles throughout fight operations which is about half of the space between Haifa and Tehran. Which means that Israeli F-35Is can not routinely function within the Iranian inside with out important tanker plane assist throughout fight operations.
Israel MOD Indicators Contract with Elbit Programs for Prolonged Vary Functionality for the F-35 “Adir” Fighter Jet
Learn Extra: pic.twitter.com/eCdLWv7uoq
— Ministry of Protection (@Israel_MOD) Might 14, 2026
Consequently, strikes performed towards Iran by the Israeli Defence Forces throughout the ‘12 Day Warfare’ in 2025 and Operation ‘Roar of the Lion’ this 12 months have required intensive and sophisticated refueling missions over the Center East, which have constrained the actions of Israeli plane. This led the Instances of Israel to report that the primary six days of the battle noticed “550 aerial refuelings” performed by the IDF, with additional refuelings performed by the U.S. Air Pressure.
Due to this fact, there’s a clear requirement for the necessity to lengthen the vary of the F-35I to permit them higher freedom of manoeuvre throughout any future conflicts towards Iran, or certainly if the present battle continues. Each Israel’s F-15I ‘Ra’am’ and F-16I ‘Sufa’ fleets already function with CFTs and drop tanks giving them a major enhance to their operational vary throughout fight. If the F-35I fleet is upgraded in the same approach it could grant them a higher means to function in Iran’s inside areas, carrying bigger weapons additional to focus on Iran’s nuclear enterprise and army.
The F-35I ‘Adir’ (Mighty One)
The IAF presently operates round 48 F-35I fighter jets out of an preliminary order of fifty, with extra orders of 25 every, made in 2023 and Might of this 12 months. The F-35I has seen intensive use by the IAF since its induction into service, taking part within the bombings of Hamas within the Gaza strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, a number of Syrian and Iranian weapon techniques and teams in Syria, and extra not too long ago the battle in Iran. This motion noticed F-35Is shoot down an Iranian air power Yakovlev Yak-130 coach close to the Iranian capital on Mar. 4, 2026.
The F-35I is a stealth fighter, and so it carries its most important armament inside inside weapon bays. In contrast to most fourth technology plane the F-35 has, up till now, not been fitted with exterior gasoline tanks, with its gasoline as a substitute saved in bigger inside tanks. This provides the fighter on common extra gasoline than a clear winged fourth technology fighter, however not as a lot as a fighter with mentioned exterior tanks.
Israel MOD Indicators Contract with Elbit Programs for Prolonged Vary Functionality for the F-35 “Adir” Fighter Jet
Learn Extra: pic.twitter.com/eCdLWv7uoq
— Ministry of Protection (@Israel_MOD) Might 14, 2026
This design alternative had been made to make sure that the F-35 maintained a low radar cross part (RCS) compared to its fourth technology contemporaries as exterior gasoline tanks and weapons carried on pylons disrupt the LO (Low Observable) geometry of the plane. These protrusions improve the floor space that may mirror radar waves again at a radar, as a substitute of dissipating them or redirecting them, making the plane detectable. Consequently, underwing hardpoints are usually averted throughout fight operations in order to take care of the low observability of the fighter, permitting it to penetrate an opponent’s floor based mostly air defences, destroying them and opening up the skies for non-stealthy plane to function inside their airspace safely.
Imagery such because the above displaying B-52 strategic bombers carrying brief vary JDAM GPS guided bombs, exhibits how degraded the Iranian floor based mostly air defence construction has turn out to be, at the least in some areas, because of the IAF and the USAF’s bombing efforts. Consequently, for Israel there’s possible now much less of a necessity for the F-35I’s Low Observability, and extra of a requirement for it to hold extra bombs per sortie, at longer distances and with out the restricted refueling property that Israel operates.
The additional vary afforded by exterior tanks is probably going changing into a extra affordable commerce off for the elevated RCS and detectability of the F-35I.
Footage and studies verify: Israeli Air Pressure jets (F-35I Adir and F-15I Ra’am) have been seen flying over Isfahan, central Iran, this morning throughout a wave of heavy airstrikes on army targets (missile amenities and air protection websites). That’s some next-level “we are able to attain you”… pic.twitter.com/DHJPZtRpTE
— Fahad Naim (@Fahadnaimb) March 15, 2026
Nonetheless, the IDF should want for the exterior tanks to have some RCS lowering options to make sure that the RCS of the F-35I stays as little as doable. To this finish the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor has not too long ago been seen with stealthy drop tanks and so this can be a doable route that Cyclone might be following, redesigning the tanks initially supposed for the F-16I in order that they’ve a decrease RCS and due to this fact might be fitted to the Adir. Nonetheless, as defined, particular particulars of the kind of exterior tank and its design are to date unknown past what few particulars have been revealed publicly.
Notably, the F-35I ‘Adir’ is fitted with Israeli-only tools and subsystems; Israeli sovereign digital warfare techniques and customized mission software program that different F-35 operators would not have entry to. It’s unknown if these gasoline tanks can be accessible for export to different F-35 prospects, although this is able to include a good variety of concerns for any potential purchaser.
Both approach, the IDF is clearly demonstrating that it sees its future opponents as working removed from Israel’s shores.
