Israel kjøper 50 F-15EX - Breaking Defence

 

State clears potential $20B in weapon sales to Israel, including new F-15s

The sale was approved by the Biden administration against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, and moved only after two key Democrats removed objections.

By   Michael Marrowon August 13, 2024 at 5:44 PM

An F-15EX fighter jet taxis to its parking spot at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2021. New F-15IAs approved for Israel today are similar to the F-15EX, which are made for the US Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jaima Fogg)

WASHINGTON — The State Department today formally approved a series of weapon purchases by Israel, clearing the way for Jerusalem to receive F-15 fighter jets, munitions and vehicles that have a collective estimated price tag of over $20 billion.

The deal comes at a precarious moment for the region: Iran and proxy group Hezbollah are expected to retaliate in the wake of suspected Israeli assassinations of Hezbollah military head Fuad Shukr in Beirut, Lebanon and Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

The announcement, issued in the form of a congressional notification from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), is not final. Quantities and dollar totals often shift during negotiations. And today’s announcement technically tees up an opportunity for lawmakers to block the deal within a 30-day period, though such a step would be unlikely, in part because two key Democrats opposed to the deal have now given their blessing for it to move forward.

Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York who serves as the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, previously said he was holding up the transaction over humanitarian concerns regarding Jerusalem’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, where Palestinian health authorities say over 38,000 people have been killed. Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, greenlit the sale alongside Meeks, the Washington Post reported in June. (Their Republican counterparts had already endorsed the arms deals.)

Topping the list of approved weapons is the F-15 made by Boeing. Under one of the sales approved by State, Israel would be able to purchase up to 50 new F-15IA aircraft — Israel’s designation for the newer model of F-15s — alongside 25 modification kits for existing F-15I jets for a total of $18.8 billion. Included in the sale are 120 F110 engines made by GE Aerospace, as well as radars, secure GPS devices and other subsystems. Deliveries are planned to begin in 2029, according to the notification. 

Israel was also cleared to purchase medium tactical vehicles and other related equipment for $583.1 million, though the total number of vehicles is not clear. The main contractor is the Oshkosh Corporation, according to the notification, which states that deliveries are expected beginning in 2026.

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The other three sales are focused on replenishing Israeli munitions. Those cover:

§  32,739 120mm tank cartridges at a price tag of $774.1 million, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.

§  50,000 120mm high explosive mortar cartridges for $61.1 million, which are anticipated to arrive beginning in 2026. General Dynamics is listed as the main contractor for both 120mm weapons, with the addition of Northrop Grumman for the tank cartridges.

§  30 AMRAAM missiles made by RTX subsidiary Raytheon to the tune of $102.5 million. AMRAAMs traditionally serve as air-to-air weapons but can also be ground-launched from certain systems, and demand for the missiles has skyrocketed amid the war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East. The notification does not list when the weapons may be delivered.  

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” DSCA said of each