During the 1990s, Israel sought to procure a new and modernised aircraft to supplement its existing fleet of F-15 and F-16 fighter jets and to replace the antiquated F-4 Phantom. After lengthy consideration, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) chose to order a modified variant of the General Dynamics F-16 Block 52 (F-16I) instead of the existing F-15I Ra’am from Boeing, due to its cost-effectiveness and improved versatility. In 1999, Israel announced its intention to purchase the F-16I, signing a contract under the Peace Marble V programme for 50 aircraft. Deliveries to the IAF began in 2004, and the F-16I is currently in service with the "Negev", "Orange Tail Knights", and "Bat" squadrons of the IAF. A key feature of the F-16I is its compatibility with existing Israeli weaponry such as the Python missiles and the SPICE, as over 50% of the internal avionics from the Block 52 were replaced by Israeli-developed systems.

The F-16I Sufa was introduced in Update “Tusk Force”. Compared to the American F-16C and the preceding F-16D Barak II, the F-16I is equipped with an upgraded engine and radar, a Missile Approach Warning (MAW) system with full coverage, an enhanced variety of air-to-ground ordnance, and an increased number of countermeasures. Due to its potent ground ordnance loadout, the F-16I specialises in a CAS fighter role and can use the fire-and-forget SPICE bombs to decimate numerous ground targets simultaneously while staying at a comfortable distance from enemy anti-air units. For air-to-air combat, the F-16I can use the ubiquitous AIM-9M Sidewinder and the AIM-120C active-radar homing missiles. However, the F-16I is not as effective for air battles due to its mediocre flight characteristics and low missile capacity.