Delivery occurs after Congresswoman worked to make it happen
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng announced that Israel recently delivered the first of two Iron Dome batteries to the United States Army.
The recent delivery follows an April letter that Meng and Congressman Joe Wilson led to Defense Secretary Mark Esper requesting a plan for the deployment of the batteries.
The Army signed a contract with Israel last year for the Iron Dome. The contract was signed after Meng, in 2018, helped spearhead a request for a study to look at the U.S. Army acquiring the Iron Dome System.
“The Iron Dome has proven its effectiveness against threats and attacks and I am pleased that the Army will now be using the system to protect U.S. troops overseas,” said Meng. “We must do all we can to ensure the safety of our servicemembers and address gaps within our air defense, and the Iron Dome will be a crucial tool in these efforts. This is also further proof that the foreign assistance we provide to Israel is mutually beneficial and supports U.S. national security. I look forward to the second battery arriving soon.”
On a related issue, Meng recently secured $500 million for U.S.-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation. The funding, which passed the House as part of the Defense Appropriations bill, will be used for the U.S. to continue working with Israel in developing missile defense systems for defending the Jewish state. It consists of $73 million for continued co-production and procurement of Iron Dome, as well as funds for the Arrow system and David’s Sling.