US army to buy Iron Dome missile defence systems from Israel

The United States will buy at least two batteries of the Iron Dome short-range missile defence systems from Israel.

Israel’s defence Ministry announced Wednesday that the U.S. military will purchase the system from its developer, Rafael Advanced defence Systems Ltd., under an agreement between the ministry and the U.S. Department of defence “for immediate needs of the U.S. Army.”

The defence ministry said it would be deployed to protect U.S. forces overseas.

“This is a great achievement for Israel and another manifestation of the deepening of our steadfast alliance with the US, and an expression of Israel’s rising status in the world,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also serves as defence minister, said in a statement.

Since it was deployed in 2011, Iron Dome has intercepted over 2,000 rockets fired at Israel from Gaza.

Inside defence first reported the Army’s decision to acquire at least two Iron Dome batteries in January.

In April, 40 Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives in a letter to the top Republican and Democrat on the defence subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee urged inclusion of £386m ($500 million) in the 2019 defence appropriations bill to purchase the system.