U.S. Congress Approves Transfer Of $600M In Aid To Israel

[Gold9472]

U.S. Congress approves transfer of $600 million in aid to Israel

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/661833.html

By Haaretz Service
12/24/2005

The United States Congress approved Friday the transfer of $600 million in aid to Israel, according to media reports.

The reports state that the money is to be used to fund joint security projects between Israel and the U.S.

Of the $600 million, $133 million will be used to develop the Arrow missile program, a collaborative project between Israel Aircraft Industries and Boeing.

Some $10 million will be invested in developing a missile capable of intercepting short-range missiles.

Israel carried out a successful test of its Arrow anti-missile system earlier this month, which Defense Ministry officials called a response to the increasing threat of ballistic missiles in the region.

The test launch came as a Russian newspaper reported that Iran has signed a deal to buy Russian tactical surface-to-air missile systems. The reports comes one day after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon warned of the dangers of a nuclear Iran.

[Gold9472]

U.S. allocates more funds for Arrow missile

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3189269,00.html

Yitzhak Benhorin
12/23/2005

The U.S. Congress has approved Friday the allocation of USD 133 million for the further development of the Arrow missile project and for a joint Israel Aircraft Industries – Boeing company production line.

Boeing manufactured the Arrow missile in its Mississippi and Alabama factories.

Congress approved a total of USD 600 million for security-related deals with Israeli companies that cooperate with American manufacturers.

Moreover, Congress has approved funding for the research and development of a new missile that will provide an answer to short-range missiles, which, according to Israeli and international intelligence sources, Hizbullah is in possession of.

The sum, which was approved by Congress in the framework of the Pentagon’s annual budget, is USD 150 million higher than that which the White House requested for joint security projects with Israel.

Millions more to upgrade drones
The funds approved for security deals and the Arrow missile program constitute an addition to the USD 2.28 billion in security aid the U.S. is set to transfer Israel in 2006.

Of the USD 133 million approved for the Arrow program, USD 63 million will be invested in developing the missile so it may provide an answer to future threats, while an additional USD 60 million will be funneled to the joint Israel Aircraft Industries –Boeing production line in Mississippi and Alabama.

Another USD 10 million dollars were set aside for the development of a missile capable of intercepting missiles with a range of several dozen kilometers; USD 37.4 million of the approved sum will be allocated for the purchase of a system that directs missiles toward their targets; the system was developed by RAFAEL (Leading R&D authority in the Israeli Defense Ministry).

In addition, USD 22 million will be used to purchase reactive protection systems, also developed by RAFAEL, for U.S. armored vehicles in Iraq.

Also, USD 17 million of the approved sum will be used to purchase anti-radar systems in fighter jets, and millions more will help upgrade Israel Aircraft Industries- produced Hunter and Pioneer drones and purchase special night-vision systems and helmets produced by Israeli Elbit Systems Ltd.