ByANNA AHRONHEIM

JULY 30, 2026 13:12

Updated: JULY 30, 2026 14:16

As Israel works to lessen reliance on American support, the country intends to manufacture its own stealth combat aircraft along with unmanned combat vehicles within the next decade, according to a senior Israeli official.

"I can envision Israel producing its own stealth fighter aircraft," he said. "If the assessment is that one day others may stop supplying these systems, then we should begin producing them ourselves. The goal is ten years from now."

The senior official, speaking to reporters in Washington, added that, along with stealth fighter aircraft, Israel also plans to develop unmanned combat aircraft.

Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) are designed to operate in close coordination with manned fighter jets. Unlike conventional drones, these aircraft are equipped with advanced artificial intelligence, enabling them to fly autonomously or semi-autonomously, execute complex missions, and respond dynamically to evolving battlefield conditions.

Their roles range from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) to electronic warfare and direct combat. Crucially, UCAVs are intended to serve as force multipliers, extending the reach, survivability, and lethality of manned aircraft without requiring additional pilots.

The senior official's statement echoed similar comments made by former senior Israel Air Force and defense industry sources who have spoken to Defense and Tech by The Jerusalem Post over the past year.

In a recent podcast with D and T, Col. Yishai Cohen, the head of the Integration Department at the Directorate of Defense, Research, and Development (MAFAT) at the Defense Ministry, declined to answer if Israel was examining such aircraft, saying, "I think it takes us back to the question about surprises for the next war" against Iran.

CCA is key component

The Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program emphasizes human-machine teaming, allowing pilots to command multiple autonomous aircraft that can scout ahead, engage targets, or absorb enemy fire.

The CCA is a key component of the US Air Force's future force design, intended to distribute combat power, reduce risk to human pilots, and expand the reach of crewed aircraft that are intended to serve as force multipliers and expand the lethality of manned aircraft, such as the F-35 and Boeing's F-47 fighter jets for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform that will replace the F-22 Raptors.

The CCA program emphasizes human-machine teaming, allowing pilots to command multiple autonomous aircraft that can scout ahead, engage targets, and absorb enemy fire. CCA aircraft offer a cost-effective means of expanding airpower, allowing militaries to deploy large numbers of capable aircraft without the logistical and human constraints of traditional fleets.

Their AI-driven autonomy enables rapid decision-making and mission adaptability, particularly in scenarios where communication may be degraded or denied. Further, by assigning unmanned systems to high-risk roles, commanders can reduce human pilots' exposure to hostile fire, thereby enhancing survivability and operational resilience.

In May, the US Air Force informed Congress that it intends to procure more than 150 CCA by fiscal year 2031, making it a top modernization priority.

Israeli self-sufficiency

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled a long-term plan to substantially reduce the country's dependence on the US, favoring the expansion of the local military-industrial base. The plan so far focuses primarily on artillery, missiles, electronic and cyber warfare systems, rather than platforms like fighter jets.

Israel has had the technological know-how to manufacture its own fighter jets, and in the 1980s, Israel Aircraft Industries (now known as Israel Aerospace Industries-IAI) developed the Lavi. The project led to a fully functioning aircraft, and foreign air forces later acquired some of the later versions. Some aircraft are still flying today. Nevertheless, the project was canceled in 1987 due to budgetary and political reasons (one being pressure from the US to buy American platforms). IAI also manufactured the Kfir fight jet for the Israel Air Force until the aircraft was retired in the mid-1990s. The company continues to maintain Kfir squadrons, and recently announced that it is upgrading the Kfir aircraft flown by the Sri Lankan airforce.

Since then, Israel has relied on the Americans to provide manned fighter aircraft to maintain its air superiority throughout the Middle East and shifted to producing a significant number of unmanned aircraft for the IDF and other countries.

Nevertheless, while Israel has the knowledge and expertise to produce and manufacture advanced jets, such a program can place great strain on the Israeli economy, which remains under the strain of close to three years of war.

According to Cohen, such a blue-and-white program "needs a budget allocated" to capabilities such as CCA platforms.

Cohen explained that one of the MoD's main focuses is to move toward independent manufacturing and production at the scale of platforms, so that it has the critical technologies "no matter what happens abroad."

"There is a huge race in all countries to achieve those capabilities. So for us, to be able to develop and produce in Israel, because we want to be independent and at scale, that's something that was not necessarily deep in the DNA of MAFAT. Now, for my colleagues and me, that is a main lesson learned - we need to not only be in charge of development, but then scale and produce it independently in Israel for the needs of the IDF," he said.