Israel has leased two Iron Dome batteries from the US for 11 months and may buy them back because of the most massive rocket attack in 50 years

In early October 2023, Israel was hit by the heaviest rocket fire in 50 years. The country has since requested two Iron Dome batteries from the US to bolster its air defences amid constant strikes.

Here's What We Know

The US Army decided to give Israel the short-range surface-to-air missile systems as it has no need for them, unlike the US Marine Corps. Israel was able to lease two Iron Dome batteries for 11 months.

This was announced by Doug Bush (Dough Bush), the US Army's chief of procurement. After the end of the lease period, Israel will be able to buy them. The Israeli army now has 10 of its own Iron Dome batteries in service. The amount of the deal is not specified, but Dough Bush said it was a small sum.

The US Army was able to purchase two Iron Dome batteries several years ago at the request of the US Congress. The complex is a joint effort between US company RTX and Israel's Rafael Advanced Defence Systems.

Since the purchase, the military services have hardly used Iron Dome. After the exercise, one system was deployed to Guam for a two-week exercise in 2021. The rest of the time, the systems were based in Washington state. The US Army does not intend to integrate Iron Dome into its air defence architecture.

Source: Defence News