In a statement, the Pentagon said Blinken approved the possible sale of 50 F-15 jets and equipment worth nearly $19 billion. He also approved the possible sale of 33,000 tank shells and 50,000 mortar shells worth around $774 million and army vehicles worth $583 million, the Pentagon said.
The tank rounds would be almost immediately available for delivery. The F-15 fighter jets, produced by Boeing, are only expected to arrive starting in 2029.
The State Department notified Congress of the approval. Congress has the ability to block weapons sales, but such a process is difficult.
“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the State Department said in its notice on the F-15s.
The sale of the tank ammunition “will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future enemy threats, strengthen its homeland defense and serve as a deterrent to regional threats,” it added. READ MORE