JERUSALEM, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The Israeli defence

ministry said on Thursday it had signed an agreement to acquire

25 next generation F-15 fighter jets from Boeing Co. ( BA )

It said the $5.2 billion agreement was part of a broader

package of U.S. aid approved by the U.S. administration and

Congress earlier this year and included an option for 25

additional aircraft.

Delivery of the new F-15IA aircraft will begin in 2031,

with 4-6 aircraft to be supplied annually, it said.

The aircraft will be equipped with weapons systems

integrated with existing Israeli weapons as well as having

increased range and payloads.

"These advantages will enable the Israeli Air Force to

maintain its strategic superiority in addressing current and

future challenges in the Middle East," the ministry said in a

statement.

"This F-15 squadron, alongside the third F-35 squadron

procured earlier this year, represents a historic enhancement of

our air power and strategic reach - capabilities that proved

crucial during the current war," the director general of the

defence ministry, Eyal Zamir, said in the statement.

Zamir said that the government has secured procurement

agreements worth nearly $40 billion since the onset of the war

in Gaza that began Oct. 7, 2023.

"While focusing on immediate needs for advanced weaponry and

ammunition at unprecedented levels, we're simultaneously

investing in long-term strategic capabilities," he said.

For Boeing ( BA ), the F-15 agreement is the second major deal this

year. In August, flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines,

signed a deal with Boeing ( BA ) for the purchase of up to 31 737 MAX

aircraft worth as much as $2.5 billion, beating out rival

Airbus.

Ido Nehushtan, president of Boeing Israel, said the

company's relationship dates back to Israel's establishment and

"will continue working with the U.S. and Israeli governments to

deliver the advanced F-15IA aircraft through standard military

procurement channels."