Yossi Schwartz ISL (RCIT section in Israel/Occupied Palestine), 15.09.2024
While the White House claims that the United States wants to avoid a regional war, in the real world, it supports Netanyahu’s plan for a war against Iran.
According to the Intercept of September 13, the U.S. military has announced the sale of billions of dollars of missiles, bombs, and other weapons to Israel in the past year, as the campaign in Gaza grinds on. The American Department of War is also building aircraft facilities in Israel to accommodate American-made refueling tanker planes, according to newly issued public contracting documents reviewed by The Intercept.
According to Army Corps of Engineers documents, the project includes new construction and upgrades of existing buildings, including one or more hangars, warehouses, and storage facilities, at an Israeli military base in the south of Israel.
The construction stems from a nearly $1 billion contract awarded to defense giant Boeing in 2022 to provide Israel with four KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft to be delivered by the end of 2026. The purchase of the KC-46As was seen as a signal of Israel’s determination to increase its capacity to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The KC-46A is the newest tanker being produced for the U.S. Air Force to replace its two aging models. The new aircraft has been plagued with myriad problems, including issues with its Remote Vision System, which allows the boom operator to see the boom through a video feed. The plane has also become a financial burden, racking up more than $7 billion in losses.For Israel, the new aircraft, purchased for $927 million, will replace the decades-old, repurposed Boeing 707 passenger planes that the Israeli Air Force currently uses for midair refueling of fighter aircraft.
Last month, the Biden administration approved five significant arms sales to Israel, including 50 F-15 fighter aircraft, tank ammunition, tactical vehicles, air-to-air missiles, and 50,000 mortar rounds, among other equipment totaling more than $20 billion. While technically “sales,” the cost of these weapons is mainly paid by the United States since Israel uses much of the military aid Congress approves to buy U.S.-made weapons.
According to documents issued on Wednesday, the KC-46A construction project includes “establishing and adapting aviation and maintenance infrastructure for the KC-46,” including the construction of five new concrete and steel structures and the possibility of building additional buildings and warehouses.
The Pentagon is no stranger to construction projects in Israel. Late last year, The Intercept revealed that the Defense Department had awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to build U.S. troop facilities for a secret base it maintains deep within Israel’s Negev desert, just 20 miles from Gaza. Code-named “Site 512,” the longstanding U.S. base is a radar facility that monitors the skies for missile attacks on Israel.
A recent investigation by The Intercept disclosed that Site 512 is just one of more than 60 U.S. bases, garrisons, or shared foreign facilities in the Middle East. These sites range from small combat outposts to massive air bases in 13 countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Imperialists out of the Middle East
In a war with Hezbollah or Iran against Israel -defeat for Israel!
For Palestine, red and free from the river to the sea!