US to okay $1 billion for Israeli missile projects

Israeli Minister for Military Affairs Ehud Barak (L) visits an Iron Dome launcher stationed close to the southern city of Ashkelon, August 21, 2011.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/240109.html

The US House of Representatives is set to allocate nearly USD one billion for the 2013 fiscal year for Israel’s missile systems.

On Monday, the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee appropriated USD 947 million for the Iron Dome, “David's Sling” and a long-range Arrow missile program.

“This funding level is the highest ever appropriated in a single year” for Israeli missiles, Rep. Steve Rothman (D-NJ), a member of the committee, said in a statement.

The appropriation must be approved by the Senate before being sent on to the White House to be signed by US President Barack Obama.

Tel Aviv plans to spend about USD 680 million on its Iron Dome missile system. The rest will go to other short and long-range missile programs, which are also joint Israeli-American projects.

Tel Aviv is the top recipient of military aid from the United States.

"The Department of Defense has been in conversations with the government of Israel about US support for the acquisition of additional Iron Dome systems and intends to request an appropriate level of funding from Congress to support such acquisitions based on Israeli requirements and production capacity," the Pentagon said in a statement last month.

David's Sling and Arrow programs are joint US-Israel projects, while Iron Dome is an Israeli program.