The US administration is planning to transfer Rafael munition guidance kits worth $320 million to Israel amid calls to prevent civilian deaths in Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
Over 10,000 Gazans have been killed in the Israeli military operation launched in response to the October 7 terror attack by Hamas.
The administration notified the US Congress about the planned sale of Spice Family Gliding Bomb Assemblies on October 31, The Wall Street Journal revealed, citing a correspondent.
Under the agreement, manufacturer Rafael USA will transfer the kits to its parent company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for use by Israel, the outlet added.
The deal includes support, assembly, and testing.
The Former Deal
Israel requested the hardware well before October 7, while an initial informal Congressional notification was sent earlier this year, according to the outlet.
This follows a $402-million deal approved by the Congress in 2020.
Spice Kit
The Spice guidance kit converts general purpose and penetration warheads into guided air-to-ground munitions with ranges of 60-100 kilometers (37-62 miles).
It can autonomously track targets without GPS and is compatible with munitions weighing 1,000-2,000 pounds (453-907 kilograms).
The technology is an upgrade on the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) the US has flown into Israel since the current operation was launched.
The 250-pound (113 kilogram) SDB precision munition has a range of 40 kilometers (25 miles).
Jerusalem bought 1,000 SDBs in 2021.
$14 Billion for Israel
Meanwhile, the US administration has requested a $14-billion package for Israel from the Congress, including 100 Iron Dome launchers and 14,000 Tamir interceptors.
Israel currently has 10 Iron Dome batteries, each consisting of three to four launchers and 20 Tamirs.
