Arrow 2

A joint U.S.-Israel missile interceptor will be operational in early April, completing Israel’s multilayer defense system, a senior Israeli Air Force official said Monday. David’s Sling is meant to counter medium-range missiles possessed by Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. When the interceptor becomes operational, it will mark the completion of the multilayer system. That includes […]

Another bipartisan push is afoot by US lawmakers to bolster funding for Israel’s missile defense beyond what is requested by the president in the fiscal 2017 defense budget. While several influential lawmakers are calling for added funding for such US-Israeli partnership efforts like the Iron Dome air defense system, David’s Sling, a medium- and long-range air defense system, and […]

A joint exercise now being conducted between thousands of Israeli troops and the U.S. European Command represents a final test before Israel begins to deploy one of the most sophisticated missile defense systems in the world. When it is complete, Israel’s multibillion-dollar rocket and missile air defense system will be far superior to anything in […]

Israel’s Arrow 3 ballistic missile defence system is “very close” to being operational, a senior Israel Air Force (IAF) officer said on 25 February. The successful Arrow 3 interception test carried out in December 2015 has brought forward the system’s initial operating capability date, which is now expected before the end of 2016, the source […]

The Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) latest five-year plan, roughly half of the 310 billion shekel ($78.6 billion) projected for defense spending through 2020, aims to bulk up cyber-protected, networked combat capabilities while cutting back on manpower and non-combat support services. Dubbed Gideon, the plan is designed to augment the IDF’s capacity to fight in multiple […]

Congress on Friday passed an omnibus spending measure that appropriates $487 million for US-Israel missile defense programs and $40 million for a new US-Israel tunnel detection program, earning accolades from the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee. This year’s package, however, allocates $132 million less to Israeli missile defense than last year’s, as the US […]

The US-Israel Arrow Weapon System (AWS) and its Upper-Tier Arrow-3 missile scored its first intercept Thursday in a complex test designed to validate how the system can detect, identify, track and then discriminate real from decoy targets traveling quickly through space. The milestone test, conducted over the Mediterranean Sea, paves the way toward low-rate initial […]

Israel is said to have finalized its “shopping list” of desired US military material as part of a new long-term agreement for US defense assistance to Israel to maintain its qualitative edge in the region. On the list, and reportedly approved in principle by the US, is an Israeli request for V-22 Ospreys, planes which […]

Mandatory caps due to resume this year for the U.S. defense budget could complicate Congress’ ability to honor Israel’s request for $317 million in extra funding for missile defense programs on top of $158 million already requested by the White House. U.S. lawmakers continue to strongly support Israel, but congressional aides said Israel’s push for […]

For the second consecutive year, Israeli officials have asked the U.S. Congress to add more than $300 million to President Barack Obama’s budget request for their nation’s missile-defense programs. The $317 million wish list that Israeli’s missile defense chief gave lawmakers this month is in addition to the $158 million the Pentagon proposed for the […]

S.1356 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 – Signed into law on November 5, 2015. Within the law several sections authorize military assistance to Israel, including:

• (Sec. 1279) Authorizes DOD to carry out research, development, test, and evaluation jointly with Israel to establish anti-tunnel capabilities to detect, map, and neutralize underground tunnels that threaten the United States or Israel. Requires DOD, prior to carrying out the activities, to submit a report and certification to Congress regarding a memorandum of agreement between the United States and Israel addressing the sharing of costs, a framework for negotiating the rights to intellectual property developed, and reports on expenditures. Authorizes DOD to provide procurement, maintenance, and sustainment assistance to Israel in support of the anti-tunnel capabilities research, development, test, and evaluation activities authorized in this section if Israel matches the contribution. Requires DOD to designate a research and development entity of a military department as the lead agency in carrying out this section.
• (Sec. 1678) Authorizes appropriations to be provided to Israel for the Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system. Requires the funds to be subject to the “Agreement Between the Department of Defense of the United States of America and the Ministry of Defense of the State of Israel Concerning Iron Dome Defense System Procurement.” Requires DOD to submit to Congress prior to obligating funds: (1) a certification that the Agreement is being successfully implemented, and (2) an assessment of risks relating to the implementation of the Agreement.
• (Sec. 1679) Authorizes appropriations for procurement and coproduction of the Israeli David’s Sling Weapons System and the Arrow 3 Upper Tier missile defense system, subject to specified terms and conditions.

H.R. 938 -The U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act, declares that Israel is a major strategic partner of the United States and was introduced on March 4, 2013.

• Amends the Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 to extend authority to: (1) make additions to foreign-based defense stockpiles, and (2) transfer certain obsolete or surplus Department of Defense (DOD) items to Israel.

• Authorizes the President to carry out U.S.-Israel cooperative activities and to provide assistance for cooperation in the fields of energy, water, homeland security, agriculture, and alternative fuel technologies.

• Amends the the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to extend the grant program for U.S.-Israeli cooperation on research, development, and commercialization of renewable energy or energy efficiency.

• Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States and Israel should increase cyber-security cooperation.

• Urges the President to provide assistance for enhancement of the David’s Sling Weapon System, the joint United States-Israel Arrow Weapon System, and the Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system.