The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has announced the possible sale to Israel of an extensive air-launched weapons package worth a potential $319 million.
The 1 June notification, which still requires approval from the US Congress, could lead to a foreign military sales agreement under which Israel will take delivery of 5,000 bombs equipped with Boeing's Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kit. The proposed deal also covers the provision of 9,500 fuzes, 160 training rounds and other equipment and services, says the DSCA.
Israel is an existing buyer of JDAM guidance kits, which use GPS/INS navigation to provide previously unguided weapons with a targeting accuracy lower than 10m (33ft).
"Israel will maintain its qualitative edge with a balance of new weapons procurement and upgrades supporting its existing systems," says the DSCA.
Weapons slated to receive the additional JDAM kits include Mk 82/83/84 general-purpose bombs and others to be armed with the BLU-109 penetrating warhead.
Other US contractors expected to receive business under the proposed sale are Alliant Techsystems, Boeing's McDonnell Douglas subsidiary, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
The outgoing president of Israel's Rafael Armament Development Authority, Giora Shalgi, says the company is working on a concept to use "herds" of networked air-to-surface missiles capable of achieving precision accuracy through the use of a common datalink. The concept will enable "relatively dumb" weapons linked to the network to determine which target to attack.Source: Flight International
