Israel to Boost Missile Defense Systems With $8 Billion Over Decade

July 26, 2018

Haaretz:

The Defense Ministry is expected to spend 30 billion shekels ($8.3 billion) over the next decade on the country’s missile-defense system – including a 15-billion-shekel increase to be submitted for approval by the security cabinet Sunday, most of which is for missile defense.

The plan calls for 3 billion shekels a year to be spent on missile defense between 2019 and 2028, half of which would come from the existing defense budget and half from the spending boost. The increase would come from the Finance Ministry and is not expected to result in cuts at other ministries.

The new plan would supersede an existing multiyear plan on defense spending that Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon worked out with the previous defense minister, Moshe Ya’alon. Defense officials said the 15-billion-shekel addition was necessary due to the major increase in threats that Israel faces.

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