The Defense Ministry on Tuesday signed two major deals with Elbit Systems for the local arms contractor to supply the military with thousands of heavy bombs and establish a new facility to manufacture raw materials. The deals were estimated at NIS 1 billion ($275 million), the Defense Ministry said.
The ministry said the agreements were “crucial for enhancing the IDF’s operational endurance and force build-up capabilities,” and represented a “central lesson learned from the war.”
Under the first agreement, Elbit was to supply thousands of heavy air munitions used by the Israeli Air Force. This would apparently reduce Israel’s need to rely on the United States, which in late spring held up a shipment of heavy bombs. Since the beginning of the war, the IAF has launched over 83,000 munitions in airstrikes, according to the military. (Read More)