US approves $510m arms sale to Israel

The U.S. Department of State has approved the sale of guidance kits for munitions and related equipment to Israel, totaling approximately $510 million.

This information was released by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on June 30.

The agency confirmed the deal by sending the appropriate certification to Congress. Israel has requested 3,845 KMU-558B/B Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for the BLU-109 bomb, as well as 3,280 KMU-572 F/B JDAM kits for the MK 82 bomb.

The agreement will also include engineering, logistics, and technical services provided by the U.S. government and contractors, along with other elements related to logistics and software support. The total estimated value of the deal is $510 million.

This sale aims to strengthen Israel’s defense capabilities, enabling the country to more effectively counter both current and future threats, as well as improve the protection of borders, critical infrastructure, and population centers.

Israel will be able to seamlessly integrate this equipment into its armed forces. It is important to note that this sale will not affect the military balance in the region.

The prime contractor for the deal will be Boeing, based in St. Charles, Missouri. Some of the JDAM guidance kits may be supplied from U.S. government stockpiles. Currently, the U.S. government has no information on any offset agreements related to this potential sale. All offset issues will be resolved during negotiations between the buyer and the contractor.

(With inputs from agencies)