Israel On 27 January 2009 Defense Minister Ehud Barak submitted an official request this week to the US government to purchase 25 F-35 stealth warplanes for the Israel Air Force. It appears likely to buy an initial 25 F-35s, with delivery initially slated for 2012 for delivery in 2014, with an option for 50 more. Some of the F-35s may be the short-take-off and vertical-landing F-35B variant.