The US State Department has approved two Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Israel for air-launched munitions worth a combined estimated value of USD 7.41 billion (EUR 7.16 billion), the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 7 February 2025.
The FMS cases approved covered air-dropped munitions worth USD 6.75 billion and AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles worth USD 660 million. Both cases have been passed to the US Congress for final approval
Regarding the air-dropped munitions, Israel requested 2,166 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs Increment 1 (SDB-I); 2,800 MK 82 general-purpose 500 lb (227 kg) bomb bodies; 13,000 KMU-556E/B, or KMU-556H/B with SABR-Y, KMU-556F/B, or KMU-556J/B Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for the MK 84 bomb body; 3,475 KMU-557E/B, or KMU-557F/B, or KMU-557H/B with SABR-Y, or KMU-557J/B JDAM guidance kits for the BLU-109 bomb body; 1,004 KMU-572E/B, or KMU-572F/B, KMU-572H/B with SABR-Y, or KMU-572J/B JDAM guidance kits for the GBU-38v1; and 17,475 FMU-152A/B fuzes.
Meanwhile, Israel requested 3,000 AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles in a combination of variants (R3, F, F/A, K1, K1A, K2, K3, K3A, KA, N, N3, and/or R), along with various aspects of technical, logistics and programme support, with deliveries estimated to begin in 2028.
For both FMS cases the DSCA stated, “The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives.”
The agency added with regard to the air-launched munitions that the proposed sale “improves Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serves as a deterrent to regional threats. Israel already has these weapons in its inventory and will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.”
Regarding the Hellfire missiles, it stated that the proposed sale “will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving the ability of the Israeli Air Force to defend Israel’s borders, vital infrastructure and population centers”, adding that it “will increase interoperability with US forces and conveys US commitment to Israel’s security and armed forces modernization”.
The DSCA said the proposed air-dropped munitions sale will be from both the US inventory, as available, and from principal contractors Boeing, located in St Louis, Missouri; ATK, located in Rocket Center, West Virginia; L3Harris Fuzing and Ordnance Systems, located in Cincinnati, Ohio; and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, located in McAlester, Oklahoma.
The principal contractor for the Hellfire FMS will be Lockheed Martin out of its facilities in Troy, Alabama.
