The US State Department, headed by Marco Rubio, has officially told Congress of its plans to sell Israel $7.4 billion worth of bombs and missiles with deliveries beginning later this year and due to be completed in 2028.
The large arms package is divided into two different deals, with the bulk ($6.75 billion) including a diverse armament cluster: 166 130 kilogram guided bombs (SDB), 2,800 230 kilogram air-to-ground bombs (MK-82) and thousands of guidance kits, which turn regular bombs into GPS-guided bombs, accurate in all weather conditions. The package also includes bomb components and additional support equipment.
The second part of the deal worth $660 million is for 3,000 Hellfire missiles. The 50 kilogram missiles are designed to precisely hit armor, radars and other ground targets. Hellfire has gained a reputation for its R9X "ninja bomb" version, with which the US killed a number of senior figures, including the commander of the pro-Iranian Iraqi militia "Hezbollah Brigades", Abu Baqir al-Saadi, in February 2024, Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in 2022, the commander of the Quds Force in the Revolutionary Guards, Qassem Soleimani in 2020, and Jamal al-Badawi in 2019, after he planned the attack against the warship USS Cole in 2000 in Yemen.
The Biden administration began informally promoting the sales process of the package last month. The anticipated major deal follows President Donald Trump's decision to end his administration's freeze on heavy weapons including1,800 MK-84 bombs weighing about 900 kilograms. These heavy bombs are effective for large-scale attacks, and due to their weight, penetrate significantly deep.
The price of a unit is estimated at about $10,000-25,000. Since the outbreak of the war, the US has supplied Israel with more than 10,000 MK-84 bombs. An examination by the Watson Institute at Brown University found that in the first year of the war alone, Israel was supplied with 14,100 MK-84 bombs. During this period, the US also supplied Israel with, among other things, 57,000 155 millimeter shells, 20,000 M4A1 rifles, and 13,981 anti-tank missiles.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on February 9, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.