The Israeli Air Force faces significant logistical challenges during the war, including shortages of spare parts, foreign supply restrictions, and continued dependence on the United States to maintain aircraft readiness, Israeli Army Radio reported, citing an outgoing senior Israeli Air Force officer.
Brigadier General “Sh,” outgoing head of the Air Force’s Equipment Division, said several European countries that are parties to the Rome Statute informed ‘Israel’ they would not supply aircraft components, including critical parts such as antennas and electronic boards.
The officer told Israeli Army Radio that procurement processes had become increasingly difficult, with some deals delayed for extended periods or failing to materialize altogether. He said some countries and companies directly refused to provide spare parts, while others cited reasons including limited stock, delivery delays, contractor issues, or warehouse incidents.
“Sh” warned that the shortages had at one point threatened to ground aircraft, saying the Israeli military was forced to seek alternative solutions, including reverse engineering, finding substitute suppliers, and applying political and economic pressure on companies and governments.
Regarding Tel Aviv’s reliance on Washington, the commander said the Air Force remains heavily dependent on US support to keep its fleet operational, including F-35, F-15, and F-16 aircraft.
“A complete separation from the United States in this field is impossible,” he said, adding that ‘Israel’ could only seek to “reduce this dependence.”
The officer also highlighted the strain caused by a prolonged multi-front war, saying the Air Force must maintain sufficient stocks of interceptor missiles and ensure its aircraft can operate for extended periods.
He said sustaining operational readiness amid simultaneous fronts, from Yemen to Iran, remains a constant challenge for the Israeli military establishment, which is “working to manage limited resources while maintaining continued air operations.”
Source: Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)