Ukraine Iron Dome - Israel's Iron Dome defense system is seen in southern Israel on August 7. Photo: Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
Ukraine's government sent Israel a formal request on Tuesday for an air defense system that would allow it to counter Iranian ballistic missiles and Iranian attack drones, according to a copy of the letter.
Ukraine Iron Dome
Breaking news: The letter says Russia is moving on a new offensive against Ukraine, including using Iranian-made drones to target cities and civilian infrastructure.
Amid Increased Iranian Support To Russia, Israel Cautiously Increases Aid To Ukraine
The letter emphasized that Ukraine's request was based on the decision that "Iran's positive experience with the use of weapons in Ukraine will lead to further improvements of the systems of the Iran".
The big picture: Israel has provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid, helmets and bulletproof vests for medical teams, but so far has not provided Ukraine with advanced weapons and defense equipment that could harm its interests security in Russia and Syria.
What they say: Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a meeting with the EU ambassador on Wednesday that Israel was helping Ukraine with humanitarian aid and life-saving defense equipment, but stressed that Israel does not supply weapons systems to Ukraine. various operational considerations.
State of the game: The Washington Post reported earlier this week that Iran is expected to expand its support for the Russian war effort and supply the Russians with precision, short- and medium-range missiles in addition to drones "kamikaze" Shahed-136. Mohajer-6 attack drones that it has already supplied to Moscow.
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What to watch: Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid is scheduled to meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday. The House bill wants more money for Kiev's defense, and could include a missile defense system.
Since taking office, the Biden administration has continued Washington's arming and training of the Ukrainian military, including a $275 million package of equipment and aid since March.
But some in Congress are seeking to do more and include an amendment to the 2022 defense bill that would allow the Biden administration to sell or transfer new air and missile defense systems to Ukraine, including the currently operational Iron Dome battery. The US Army.
The Armed Services Committee has included in its version of the 2022 defense finance policy bill an amendment that would require the Pentagon to report to Congress, eventually outlining options for a potential "sale" or transfer to Ukraine. in the near future.
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A proposal to sell or ship new air defense systems to Kiev is likely to raise tensions with Moscow, which is fighting a proxy war in eastern Ukraine and sees a deployment near its border as a provocation. Russia has long complained about a US anti-ballistic missile defense system in Romania that could be used for offensive purposes, a charge denied by the US and NATO.
Since being installed in Israel in 2011, the system, which was built by an Israeli defense company in cooperation with Rafael, has proven to be one of the best short-range missile killers. The Israeli military says the Iron Dome has destroyed 90 percent of the rockets fired into Israel in recent years.
Currently, surplus US air and missile defense batteries are not ready for deployment. But the Army is trying to figure out how to operate the two Iron Dome systems that Congress ordered it to buy in 2019 as a stopgap for a delayed effort to put its new air and missile defense systems up for sale.
The service has purchased two batteries, which are ready to be used next year. But the Army has struggled to integrate missile defenses: Iron Dome was not developed under the Army's new command and control system, a problem that would limit its usefulness if deployed overseas.
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The HASC version of the 2022 defense budget bill, approved by a 57-2 margin on September 2, does not specify a weapons system that would be given to the Ukrainians. But a congressional staffer said the current systems transfer language speaks volumes, and the Army's two iron dome batteries are prime candidates because the Army has too few systems for Ukraine to handle the threat. of Russia.
The military has long led the way in ground-based missile defense, but over the past two decades, conflict with groups that lack sophisticated missile or drone capabilities has led to investment in short-range air defense weapons. distance This, in turn, has made Patriot and terminal altitude defense batteries the most frequently deployed military units in the Middle East in recent years.
But authorities in Kiev have suggested in recent months that they are looking for more. After announcing in May that Ukraine will begin increasing its annual defense budget, Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Taran said he wanted to spend part of it on new air defense systems, pointing to Iron Dome.
"Given the fact that more needs to be done on the front of integrated air defense for the Ukrainians and mutual recognition, given some of the recent political decisions of the administration on Ukraine, there is a willingness to do more to help them than Biden. The team. works," said the official, on condition of anonymity because the bill is still pending in the House.
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"Tactically, it would not be effective at short distances or lines of communication because this system would be shot down very quickly by many of Russia's missile systems," said Michael Kofman, director of CNA's Russia Studies program. tank "But it can intercept long-range missiles, allowing the battery to defend a critical area or a command center" in eastern Ukraine.
The amendments to the air defense of Ukraine were proposed by Rep. Scott Franklin (R-Fla.) passed by a bipartisan vote.
The House bill calls for $275 million in military aid to Ukraine even before the new missile defense system is transferred, but since the iron dome is paid for, the transfer won't contribute much to the total.
This spring, several Ukrainian and Israeli reports indicated that Kiev is interested in buying the Iron Dome from Israel, but such a purchase could be complicated. The Israeli government needs Washington's approval to sell Raytheon to a third country, given the US cooperation agreement, and there are sensitivities in Tel Aviv about its relationship with Moscow. The two countries have agreed not to sell weapons to third parties, such as Ukraine and Iran, and have had a secret agreement on Syria in recent years.
Ukraine Has Asked Israel To Sell The Iron Dome Missile Defense System — Sundries
But there are disadvantages to the US military's escape from Iron Dome, even if the service fails to incorporate it into its command and control system.
After two decades of combating missile threats in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army is facing "a serious shortfall in missile, mortar and cruise missile defense capabilities," said Tom Karako, director of the Center of Missile for Strategic and International Security. Defense project. "And the reason they adopted Iron Dome — with the enthusiasm of Congress — was because it was a reflection of the opportunity gap."
An Army official said to discuss the sensitive issue, that while Iron Dome is not interoperable with other systems in service, many other weapons and sensors cannot "talk" to each other. But the problem was that the military did not want to buy more equipment which made the problem worse.
The amendment, which includes language on Ukraine's missile defense, was included as part of HASC Ranking Member Mike Rogers' $24 billion funding increase to the bill of Biden's defense policy law. The package also includes a $250 million increase in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative by $250 million, bringing it to $275 million by 2021.
Iran's Weapons Are Slowly Dragging Israel To Ukraine's Defense
In June, the Biden administration was reported to have approved a new $100 million military aid package for Ukraine, after Russian forces moved this spring following several exercises across the Ukrainian border. The package includes short-range air defense systems, small arms and anti-tank weapons, marking a departure from the non-lethal weaponry the Biden administration provided this year under two separate packages, one in March and the another in June.
The final fate of the funding of Ukraine is not clear after the bill moved to the plenary of the House and was then passed by the conference committees of the House and the Senate to produce a final bill.
In July, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a $25 billion increase in the defense budget by a 25-1 margin, and both houses of Congress recommended accepting the spending plan of the President's $715 billion Pentagon.
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