US Senate Doubles Funding for Iron Dome Missile Defense

The U.S.Senate approved a bill that will provide $621.6 million for Israeli missile defense, including $351 million for Iron Dome.

The Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee approved a defense spending bill on Tuesday that will provide $621.6 million for Israeli missile defense, including $351 million for the Iron Dome system that intercepts short-range rockets and mortars, AFP reported.

 

The U.S. Congress appropriated $235 million to the project last year, the report noted. The White House had requested approximately $176 million for the system for 2015, but lawmakers doubled the amount. Congress often increases funding for Israeli security projects sought by the president. The funding is part of the administration’s request of $3.1 billion for military assistance to Israel, the world’s largest beneficiary of US foreign aid.

The Iron Dome anti-rocket system has been successful in shooting down rockets and preventing Israeli deaths with a 90% success rate, an improvement of the 84% success rate achieved during Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012.

Iron Dome Works, Senator Observes

While more than a thousand rockets have been fired upon Israel over the past nine days, since Israel’s launch of Operation Protective Edge, there has been only one casualty among Israelis – largely due to the Iron Dome defense system. On Tuesday, Dror Hanin, 37, was killed by mortar fire at the Gaza border while delivering food to IDF soldiers. Others have been injured and thousands traumatized.

“It works,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the subcommittee.

The IDF deployed its ninth Iron Dome battery this week, after it was scheduled to be prepared within a few months but was produced in record time.

Author: Aryeh Savir, Tazpit News Agency

Click below to see Iron Dome in Action: