July 2 (UPI) — Israel will purchase more than two dozen F-35 fighter jets from the United States, in a multibillion-dollar deal that will expand the Middle Eastern country’s fleet of the world’s most advanced stealth aircraft by 50%, its ministry of defense said Sunday.

The deal for 25 jets is valued at some $3 billion and is to be financed through U.S. aid to Israel, the ministry said in a statement, adding that as part of the agreement, both Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the aircraft, and Pratt & Whitney, the maker of its engine, have committed to involving Israeli defense industries in production of components.