WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has approved $20 billion worth of arms sales to Israelincluding numerous fighter jets and state-of-the-art air-to-air missiles, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
Congress was briefed on the impending sale, which includes more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAMs), 120mm tank ammunition, and high-explosive mortars and tactical vehicles, and comes at a time of great concern about Israel’s potential involvement in an expanded Middle East. War.
However, the weapons are not expected to reach Israel any time soon, as these are contracts that will take years to fulfill. A large proportion of the weapons sold are intended to help Israel increase its military capability in the long term. The first systems delivered under the contract are not expected until 2026.
“The United States is committed to Israel’s security, and it is critical to U.S. national interests to help Israel develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those goals,” the State Department said in a press release about the sale.
The Biden administration has had to balance its continued support for Israel with a growing number of calls from lawmakers and the U.S. public to limit military support there due to the high civilian death toll in Gaza. It has restricted a shipment of 2,000-pound weapons while Israel continues to carry out airstrikes on densely populated areas. civil areas in Gaza.
The contracts not only cover the sale of 50 new aircraft that Boeing will produce, but also include upgrade kits for Israel to upgrade its existing fleet of two dozen F-15 fighter jets with new engines and radars, among other things. The jets make up the bulk of the $20 billion deal, with first deliveries expected in 2029.
