Israel: F-35I "Adir"

[theoderich]

The deal, valued at over $34 million (over NIS 100 million), covers the development and integration of external fuel tanks based on an existing Cyclone design originally developed for the F-16.

The new capability is expected to extend the aircraft's operational range, reduce reliance on aerial refueling, and enhance operational flexibility across long-range missions.

[theoderich]

Modernized Selected Acquisition Report (MSAR)

Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM)

FY 2027 President's Budget
Effective: April 21, 2026

Key milestones include Israel submitting a Letter of Request for 220 AGM-158B-3 missiles, [...]

https://www.esd.whs.mil/Records-Declass ... 027_MSARs/

• https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Docu ... dacted.pdf

[theoderich]

Trump administration plans $2.8 billion munitions sale to Israel, sources say

President Donald Trump's administration is planning to sell to Israel a munitions package worth $2.8 billion, which will ​include tens of thousands of highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs, ‌according to a U.S. official familiar with the sale.

The planned sale, which has been informally communicated to relevant congressional committees who weigh in on large ​arms sales, includes 20,000 MK 84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, the ​official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said.

News of ⁠the package was first reported by the Washington Post.

The State ​Department and the Israeli embassy did not immediately respond to a ​request for comment.

Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; editing by David Gaffen

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump- ... 026-09-15/


Trump’s planned sale of controversial bombs to Israel is largest in years

The Trump administration is preparing a multibillion-dollar sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in the largest single sale of the controversial munition in recent years, a U.S. official told The Washington Post.

The $2.8 billion package, which would be purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars, includes 40,000 bombs that weigh 2,000 pounds each, including 20,000 MK-84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, said the official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss military matters. The sale also includes 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads.

Among the most destructive munitions in Western military arsenals, an MK-84 explosion sends metal fragments in every direction for thousands of feet, can rip through metal and thick concrete, and often creates large craters in the earth.

The sale has been informally notified to congressional committees, setting up a potential litmus test for Democrats as frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have created unprecedented strain in the U.S.-Israel relationship.

When asked about the humanitarian concerns, a senior administration official, said: “All foreign arms sales are moving through the appropriate process. We do not comment on pending sales.”

The Israeli Embassy did not respond to a request for comment.

The size of the package eclipses previous sales of 2,000-pound munitions to Israel during the Biden administration and the Trump administration, including a controversial $2.04 billion sale in 2025 that bypassed the normal congressional review process.

“They do like to use them a lot when they’re trying to target any building,” said Trevor Ball, a former explosive-ordnance-disposal technician for the U.S. Army. “If Hezbollah or whoever is in a building, an MK-84 will bring down the whole building.”

Nicknamed the “hammer” by U.S. pilots in the first Gulf War, it is the only munition that President Joe Biden’s administration stopped sending to Israel during the Gaza war out of concern about the killing of Palestinian civilians. That involved suspending a single shipment of the munitions in the spring of 2024. The policy was immediately reversed by President Donald Trump in January 2025, his first month back in office.

“Given the way Israel conducted its air war in Gaza and, to some extent, in southern Lebanon, there are real concerns about how such weapons would be used in densely populated areas,” said Brian Finucane, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group. “That’s assuming that you have valid military targets to start with because there are concerns about what Israel deems to be valid military targets.”

Though the delivery time for such orders can be multiple years, approving such sales sends a broader signal about the bilateral relationship.

“If the Trump administration’s goal is to calm things down in the Middle East, the timing of this is unusual,” Finucane said. “Whether they intend to or not, it sends a vote of confidence to Israel.”

The Trump administration is pressing the leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee to approve the sale.
Republican and Democratic leaders historically have backed such sales, but they are starting to face resistance from rank-and-file members regarding U.S. support for Israel stemming from the unpopularity of the wars in Gaza and Iran.

Polls consistently show most Americans oppose the war in Iran, which has raised energy costs and increased inflation. In July, more than 100 House Democrats voted to end all U.S. aid to Israel, signaling a historic shift in the party’s opposition to the country.

Republicans are more unified in their support for Israel, but a growing number of conservative commentators, including Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, have questioned Washington’s steadfast backing and the $3.8 billion of aid the United States sends to Israel every year.

Besides the MK-84, the sale includes I-2000s, a penetrating bomb body used to attack hardened structures, and BLU-117s, a variant of the MK-84 that has thermal protective coating to make it safer for naval storage.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national ... bs-israel/

The MK 84 General Purpose (GP) bomb is a 2,000-pound, free-fall, unguided, low-drag weapon. The MK-84 is designed for soft, fragment sensitive targets and is not intended for hard targets or penetrations. The explosive filling is usually tritonal, though other compositions have sometimes been used.

The BLU-117 GP bomb is a 2,000-pound, free-fall, unguided, high and low-drag weapon equivalent to the MK-84 but slightly differs in explosive filler or manufacturer details.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documen ... tification

BLU-117 (2000lb) Bomb

The BLU-117 General Purpose Bomb is identical to the 2000lb class MK 84 bomb, with the exception of the explosive filler. The primary users are the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. This bomb has a slender body made of steel with a well in the nose section for a proximity sensor, mechanical fuze and adapter booster, or a penetrating nose plug; and a well in the aft section for a tail electronic fuze. It is compatible with proximity sensor and mechanical/electrical/electronic fuzes. It uses a conical fin or laser/GPS guidance airfoil kit or mine kit.

MK84 (2000lb) Bomb w/JDAM

The MK84 is designed for soft and intermediately protected targets. The destruction mechanism of the MK84 is blast and fragmentation. Ideal targets for this weapon are buildings, rail yards, and lines of communication.

https://www.cpeae.army.mil/Project-Offi ... ems/Bombs/