Israel approves NIS 5b procurement for possible Iran confrontation

F-15 Photo: PR
F-15 Photo: PR

The Ministerial Committee on Defense Procurement approved the budget for advanced high precision and powerful attack weapons and missile defense systems to combat Iran and its proxies.

Last week Israel's Ministerial Committee on Defense Procurement and Equipping the Israel Defense Forces approved the procurement of 12 new transport helicopters for the Israel Air Force. After years of delays, the new helicopters will replace the old CH-53 Yasur helicopters, which will be phased out of service.

But the more significant decision by the ministerial committee was the approval of a comprehensive procurement budget of nearly NIS 5 billion, which will come out of the defense budget. The procurement budget is to prepare for a potential confrontation with Iran. The budget is for various types of advanced high precision and powerful attack weapon systems. Procurement will be made from both the US and Israel's defense industries. Also on the procurement list are defense missiles in addition to Iron Dome short-range intervention capabilities, as well as other systems and armaments, mainly to defend against missiles and rockets.

The significance of the procurements that have been budgeted and targeted by the Ministry of Defense is a genuine preparation for a confrontation with Iran. This could result from a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and its ramifications including an Iranian attack in response aided by Hezbollah and Palestinian organizations. In another scenario the failure of the nuclear agreement talks in Vienna could motivate Iran to escalate the situation throughout the Middle East including against Israel, as a response to the failure to lift sanctions against it.

The budget for defense procurement approved last week represents nearly 10% of the entire defense budget, with most of the procurement budget allocated to the confrontation with Iran and its proxy organizations.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 5, 2021.

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2021.

F-15 Photo: PR
F-15 Photo: PR
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