A ministerial committee approved the purchase of 15 billion NIS weapons by the United States, which is to import new jets, aircraft and weapons, an official said Tuesday.
“A ministerial procurement committee has approved the purchase of a new F-35 squadron, four new refueling aircraft, and extensive ammunition,” the official said on condition of anonymity to consider issues that remain -reconciliation.
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F-35 pilot and jet fighter crew prepare for mission at Al-Dhafra Air Base in United Arab Emirates
(Photo: AP)
The package also included components for the Arrow missile system and the Iron Dome defense system.
This was the first foreign arms sale to Israel announced under the new administration of President Joe Biden. Given that sales take months to process, the genesis of the contracts seems to go back to the Trump Administration.
Israel has been considering buying Boeing Co-manufactured KC-46 refueling planes for some time and has also been monitoring an additional squadron of 24 or 25 F-35s, which Lockheed Martin does.
The Biden Administration temporarily suspended some pending arms sales to U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates until the review.
While the Israelis have approved the purchase, the U.S. Congress wants a major arms sale to be notified before a contract can be signed.