The United States government has authorized the possible sale of thousands of bombs and guided munitions intended to equip the fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force. This is outlined in one of the latest notifications issued by the State Department to Congress, seeking approval for the transaction through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
Although a ceasefire has been in place in recent weeks, along with the exchange of hostages and prisoners between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces are reportedly in the process of replenishing and strengthening their ammunition stocks. One of the key items appears to be bombs and guided munitions used by the F-15I Ra’am, F-16I Sufa, and F-35I Adir fighter jets, which have played a significant role in air operations.
According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Israeli government has requested from the United States the purchase of a significant number of bombs and guided munitions for its Air Force fighter jets. The package, valued at $6.75 billion, will be primarily supplied by Boeing, L3Harris, ATK Tactical Systems Company LLC, and the U.S. Army Ammunition Plant in McAlester, Oklahoma.
The key items in the package include:
- 2,166 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb Increment 1 (SDB-I).
- 2,800 MK 82 500-pound general-purpose bomb bodies.
- 13,000 JDAM guidance kits: KMU-556E/B, KMU-556H/B with SABR-Y, KMU-556F/B, or KMU-556J/B for MK-84 bomb bodies.
- 3,475 JDAM guidance kits: KMU-557E/B, KMU-557F/B, KMU-557H/B with SABR-Y, or KMU-557J/B for BLU-109 bomb bodies.
- 1,004 JDAM guidance kits: KMU-572E/B, KMU-572F/B, KMU-572H/B with SABR-Y, or KMU-572J/B for the GBU-38v1.
- 17,475 FMU-152A/B fuzes.
The State Department stated: “The United States is committed to Israel’s security, and it is in the U.S. national interest to assist Israel in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives.”
Additionally, they noted: “The proposed sale enhances Israel’s ability to address current and future threats, strengthens its national defense, and serves as a deterrent against regional threats. Israel already possesses these weapons in its inventory and will have no difficulty integrating this equipment into its armed forces.”
*Photographs used for illustration purposes.
