WASHINGTON — The US has approved $20 billion in arms sales to Israelincluding dozens of fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday.
Congress was notified of the pending sale, which includes more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), 120mm tank munitions, and high-explosive mortars and tactical vehicles, and comes at a time of grave concern that Israel could become involved in a broader Middle East war.
The weapons are not expected to come to Israel anytime soon, however, and are contracts that will take years to complete. Much of what is being sold is intended to help Israel increase its military capacity in the long term.
“The United States is committed to Israel’s security, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel in developing and maintaining a strong and capable self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the State Department said in a news release about the sale.
The Biden administration has had to balance its continued support for Israel against a growing number of calls from lawmakers and the American public to curtail military aid there amid high civilian deaths in Gaza. It has curtailed one shipment of 2,000 pounds of weapons amid continued Israeli airstrikes in densely populated areas civilian areas in Gaza.
The contracts will not only include the sale of 50 new aircraft produced by Boeing. They will also include upgrade kits for Israel to retrofit its existing fleet of two dozen F-15 fighter jets with new engines and radars, among other upgrades. The fighter jets will make up the bulk of the $20 billion in sales, with first deliveries expected in 2029.