Funding added for U.S.-Israel missile system

By · July 30, 2007

A U.S. House of Representatives committee voted to provide funding for a ballistic missile defense system developed jointly by the United States and Israel.

The appropriations committee voted last week to provide $26 million in funding for the Arrow System Improvement Program, which tests the capacity of the Arrow weapons system.

“In light of Iran’s open hostility toward the U.S. and Israel, I consider increasing the effectiveness of the Arrow system to be essential to our defense,” said Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), who requested the additional funding.

The House version of the 2008 defense appropriations bill requests $79.2 million for the Arrow program, which includes the $26 million request by Rothman and $53.2 million for ongoing programs. The total recommended funding for the U.S.-Israeli Arrow weapons system tops $142.6 million, with $37.4 million for the co-production and feasibility study of the short-range missile defense program known commonly as “David’s sling.”

Prior to 2001, funding requests for the Arrow program came from the Senate appropriations committee.