Much of Washington’s Iron Dome aid to be spent in US

The Israeli government will spend more than half the money provided by the US for the Iron Dome anti-missile system in the US.

Israel will pay US contractors some 30 percent of the $176 million allocated for the Israeli-built missile interception system for the coming fiscal year and 55 percent for the next year, up from 3 percent, Bloomberg News reported, citing a US Missile Defense Agency report to Congress.

“Under this agreement, the United States focus shifts toward maximizing economic activity in the United States while ensuring that Israel’s security needs are met,” the missile defense agency said in the April 2 report, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. “This new agreement strikes a better balance for both parties and should serve as a model for the future.”

Congress has approved $703 million since 2011 for Israel to spend on Iron Dome.

The agreement with Israel includes a provision which would allow production of a part to revert to Haifa-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd if the US price is five percent higher than what it would cost to produce in Israel.

The first contracts are expected to be awarded in July.

Iron Dome intercepted about 400 or 85 percent of the rockets fired at Israel from Gaza during eight days of fighting in 2012.