Pentagon Requests $146 mln for ’Israeli’ War Department

Local Editor

The US War Department's fiscal year 2017 budget requested $145.8 million in support for the "Israeli" entity, including Iron Dome and other cooperative war programs, according to Pentagon documents.

The requests for new funding are tucked in the War Department's $583 billion budget for 2017, which was submitted Tuesday by the Pentagon chief, Ashton Carter.

In addition to about $42 million for Iron Dome, the US Missile War budget request included $103.8 million for cooperative programs with the "Israeli" entity, down from $267.6 million in fiscal 2016.

For his part, Vice Admiral James Syring, director of the Missile Agency, said his group was working with "Israel" under a co-production agreement signed for the Iron Dome system.

The Iron Dome system is designed to downfall short-range missiles and rockets. The United States will also continue to help fund David's Sling, a medium-range missile interceptor, set to be deployed this year, as well as the Arrow ballistic missile interceptor.

Syring further stated that the two sides were trying to reach a second co-production agreement for the David's Sling program without giving a time frame.

The budget forecasted total spending on "Israeli" cooperative programs of $540 million over the next five years, with no additional funding for Iron Dome envisioned after $42 million in fiscal 2017.

Relatively, Washington has given Tel Aviv more than $3 billion since 2001 for its missile programs.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team