Israel, US Air Force sign military contract worth $472m

An Israeli defence company revealed on Monday that its American subsidiary had been awarded a US Air Force contract worth up to $471.6 million.

Israel-based Elbit Systems, a company which sells weapons to the Israeli military used in attacks on Palestinians, will be supplying a missile warning system to F-16 fighter jets belonging to the US Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command.

The Israeli military flies US-produced F-16s, and they were the first warplanes used against Palestinians inside the occupied territories since 1967.

Elbit Systems has also supplied surveillance technology for use along the US-Mexico border.

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According to an official Pentagon contracting announcement last week, the Air Force has already set aside a little more than $17 million to buy these systems, but the complete contract, which covers work to February 2030 at the earliest, could be worth up to just over $471.6 million.

Last year, the Israeli government revealed the main points of the plan to increase the volume of Israel’s defence exports for the first time, reported Globes.

The project, being overseen by the Defence Ministry’s International Defence Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) led by Brigadier General Yair Kulas, has been reported to have begun this year.

Neither the Air Force nor Elbit identified the specific warning system in question, but the Israeli company described it as a pylon-based infrared missile warning system.

The combat-tested system provides 360-degree threat detection and tracking, and automatically manages countermeasures, Elbit says.