Leaked Documents Reveal US Plan To Bankroll New Israeli Tank Factory
Washington may bankroll the construction of a new Israeli armored vehicle plant with up to $2 billion from military aid funds, according to US documents cited by Haaretz newspaper.
Last year, an Israeli ministerial panel for defense procurement approved the “Armored Vehicle Acceleration Project,” an initiative aimed at boosting the production rate of Israel’s Merkava tank, as well as its Namer and Eitan personnel carriers.
The initiative is meant to span a five-year period.
Two US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) presentations cited by Haaretz show that Washington is likely to take part in financing, designing, and constructing the “Joint Systems Manufacturing Center.”