Israel to Buy $8 Billion of Weapons from USA

4 January, 2025 A batch of 155 mm M795 shells from the United States. October 2023. Photo credits: 86th Airlift Wing

The U.S. State Department is preparing to sell £8 billion worth of weapons to Israel. This was reported by Axios.

The State Department has "unofficially" notified Congress of the sale of weapons to Israel, which will include aircraft missiles for fighter jets and attack helicopters, as well as artillery shells. As part of this possible sale, the Israeli side will receive additional Apache attack helicopters, AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and 155 mm artillery ammunition.

An AH-64D attack helicopter of the Israeli Air Force. Photo: Israeli Ministry of Defense

It will also receive AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles for Apache helicopters, GBU-39/B (SDB-2) guided bombs, precision-guided JDAM bomb kits, and Mk 82 bombs weighing 227 kg.

According to the newspaper, the State Department told Congress that the deal was aimed at "supporting Israel's long-term security by replenishing critical munitions and air defense capabilities." First of all, this haste is due to the fact that the current president's administration will probably no longer be able to sell weapons to Israel. With Donald Trump in office, the rhetoric toward Israel may change altogether.

According to Axios, some of the production and delivery of ammunition can be done from current US stockpiles. However, most deliveries will take one or more years.

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Earlier, Militarnyi reported that in November 2024, US President Joe Biden had preliminarily approved the sale of £680 million worth of arms to Israel. The disclosure of such planned arms sales, to which Congress may object, usually occurs before the deal is publicly announced.

The deal, in particular, includes JDAM precision-guided air bombs and other aviation weapons.

Netanyahu has said that replenishing weapons stockpiles was one of the three main reasons for the ceasefire.