BOEING

Company accelerates shipment of 1,000 smart bombs to Israel after Hamas attacks

Boeing has accelerated the delivery of 1,000 smart bombs to Israel as the country steps up retaliation against Hamas following the devastating weekend attack that killed hundreds of people, industry and defense officials said.

The 250-pound small-diameter bombs, part of a 2021 contract, were transported from a U.S. Air Force base by Israeli Air Force transport, according to an industry official who asked not to be identified discussing the agreements. .

A senior defense official who spoke to reporters on Monday said the munitions rushed to Israel were not part of a “foreign military sale” between governments, but rather part of a “direct commercial sale” between the contractor and Israel. which was already underway.

A second defense official said Tuesday that the first official was referring to accelerated transactions under a May 2021 direct commercial sale between Boeing and Israel, which the State Department valued at $735 million over the course of of several years. Also includes kits to convert unguided bombs into GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions. No JDAM kits have been shipped yet, an official said.

The weapons, which can be launched by Israeli jets from more than 40 miles away – each aimed at specific targets – “provide the means to precisely target terrorists in Gaza while minimizing civilian casualties,” Brad said. Bowman, a military analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who follows military issues in the Middle East. He said this is an important capability considering Hamas holds Israeli hostages.

A Boeing spokesman declined to comment. According to a U.S. Air Force fact sheet, the small size of the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) “inherently reduces the likelihood of collateral damage.”

Separately, the Biden administration is expected to announce new arms supplies to Israel, which receives more than $3 billion in US military aid every year.

Vivaero