Bipartisan members of the Senate Armed Services Committee drafted up a letter and sent it off to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier this week, making a request that more Iron Dome missile batteries be sent to the nation of Israel in light of the vicious Hamas terrorist attacks that rocked the country over the course of last weekend. The letter was written and signed by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, Rick Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Democrat, and Michael Rounds a member of the GOP from South Dakota.
According to Newsmax, the letter said, “While we appreciate the Department of Defense has announced that it will rapidly provide Israel with equipment and munitions, and that discussions are underway to resupply Israel with Iron Dome interceptors, we also understand that Israel may urgently require additional missile defense capacity to protect its citizens and territory, including new Iron Dome batteries.”
“As you know, the United States Army is currently in possession of two Iron Dome batteries that have not been deployed and have no operational use inside the United States where they are currently stored,” it continued.
The members of the committee stated that sending these two batteries to Israel would be in addition to other “defensive assets” that would provide the country with the kind of defense necessary to save lives by preventing it from being bombarded by rockets.
“I’ve joined a bipartisan letter with [Sens. Rosen, Scott, and Rounds] to Secretary Austin requesting that the Department of Defense transfer two Iron Dome batteries to Israel, as well as additional unused military assets,” Gillibrand stated in a post published to social media that included the letter.
Check out more from Newsmax:
The Washington Examiner reported Thursday that the anti-missile system has been heavily used since the massive Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that has launched thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel and killed more than 1,000 Israelis and at least 22 Americans. Hamas forces have also kidnapped more than 100 Israelis and other civilians, possibly including Americans to be used as hostages, the report said.
In the letter, the Senators asked Austin to respond to the request by Friday.
Newser reported Wednesday that Israel currently has 10 Iron Dome batteries scattered throughout the country to take out incoming rockets and missiles.
The report also revealed some details about how the system works, stating it utilizes radar to help provide an estimate concerning an incoming missile’s speed and trajectory in order to fire an interceptor and blow it up while it’s airborne. Each individual battery has three or four launchers included with each one holding up to 20 missiles.
“The report said that the massive amount of rockets launched at Israel could be designed to use up their current interceptor missile inventory, leaving them vulnerable for future attacks if the munitions are not replenished,” the report concluded.
Let’s hope the DOJ does the right thing and helps provide support for our ally in the Middle East in order to help prevent more unnecessary bloodshed.
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