Israel is investing quite significant funds into expanding production of Tamir missiles for the Iron Dome complex, which will be directed to their manufacturer Rafael. A corresponding agreement was signed between the country's defense ministry and the company, but without disclosing target indicators.
The only clarification is that it concerns the possibility of supplying a "significant quantity of interceptor missiles" for Iron Dome. And also that this money is allocated from American support, which totals $8.7 billion.
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And from this amount, $5.2 billion is intended for strengthening Israel's anti-missile programs Iron Dome, David's Sling, and the Iron Beam laser complex, whose 15-year development was successfully completed this year. It's worth adding that at the beginning of the year, on January 16, funds were allocated from this same amount for purchasing the missiles themselves.
Such an order for Rafael means that Israel has quite soberly assessed the capabilities of its anti-missile defense after recent attacks by Hamas and iran, when in case of the enemy using a large number of missiles, even saturated anti-missile defense can be pushed through. Because if the enemy has more missiles than you have interceptor missiles, it's only a matter of time.
Also, one should not be surprised that the purchase and expansion of missile production for Israel occurs at US expense. Because Israel has received direct financial aid from the US since 1946, totaling over $130 billion. And the last approved general package agreed in 2016 provides $38 billion from the US until 2028.
It’s also worth recalling that at the expense of this aid, Israel is also arming itself with additional F-35s, which the US pays for this country and even with a very significant discount for what is essentially an export contract.
But now in Washington, statements are supposedly being heard that Israel should prepare for the fact that they will no longer receive such aid from the US. And after 2028, the countries should transition to partnership terms. At the same time, Tel Aviv supposedly wants to negotiate receiving not 10-year, but immediately 20-year guarantees of receiving aid.
At the same time, such insider information is already indirectly confirmed by the fact that Washington approved the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia, which may receive them together with revolutionary wingman drones from General Atomics. And this means liquidation of Israel's technological advantage in the region, which was the foundation of its defense capability together with very broad US support.
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