The US State Department has sanctioned two potential foreign military sales (FMS) of weapons, worth an estimated total cost of $7.41bn (NIS26.5bn), to Israel.
One of the potential sales involves acquiring 3,000 AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, including one or any combination of the R3, F, F/A, K1, K1A, K2, K3, K3A, KA, N, N3, and/or R variants, and accompanying support for nearly $660m.
This acquisition aims to bolster Israel's defence capabilities, particularly for its Air Force, and reinforce the interoperability between Israeli and US forces.
The AGM-114 Hellfire is a missile capable of engaging multiple target types.
This will be supplied along with non-major defence equipment (MDE) items such as support and test equipment, integration and test support, spare parts, software, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, US government and contractor engineering, and more.
Lockheed Martin is the designated principal contractor for this sale, with delivery projected to commence in 2028.
The second potential sale includes an assortment of munitions, guidance kits, and related support equipment, totalling an estimated $6.75bn.
This package comprises 2,166 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs Increment 1 (SDB-I), 2,800 MK 82 bomb bodies, more than 13,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for various bomb bodies, and 17,475 FMU-152A/B fuses, among other items.
Non-MDE items will also be included such as FMU-139 fuses, bomb components, munitions support equipment, and other related logistics and programme support elements.
With deliveries anticipated to start in 2025, the principal contractors for this sale include Boeing, ATK Tactical Systems , L3Harris Fuzing and Ordnance Systems, and the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.
These agreements follow a previous endorsement of FMS to Israel exceeding $20bn in August of 2024, indicating ongoing US support for Israel's defence modernisation.
The recent green lights from the US serve to underscore its steadfast support for Israel, simultaneously propelling forward the latter's initiatives to update and enhance its defence capabilities—a crucial step in addressing the shifting nature of challenges posed by neighbouring opponents.
