After partial US arms embargo, Israel to manufacture aerial bombs

Israel’s Defense Ministry reportedly working to establish long-term indigenous aerial munitions productions capabilities and to wean off dependence on the US for some weapons.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel is working to wean itself off of its dependence on foreign suppliers for some key munitions, after the Biden administration obstructed the transfer of some weapons to Israel during the ongoing war against the Hamas terror organization, Israel Hayom reported Tuesday.

Earlier this year, the White House froze a number of weapons shipments to Israel, including transfers of aerial munitions requested by the Israeli air force.

The freeze, which drew criticism from the Israeli government and Republican lawmakers who described the move as a partial arms embargo on the Jewish state, has spurred the Israeli defense ministry to seek domestic suppliers of aerial bombs in order to lessen Israel’s dependence on foreign manufacturers, according to a report by Israel Hayom.

The report claimed that the Israeli Defense Ministry has already decided to establish and maintain long-term indigenous production capacities for manufacturing one-ton aerial bombs, equivalent to the U.S.-made MK-84 bomb.

During periods of protracted conflict, including the current war against the Hamas terror organization and elevated tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border, the new production lines would be placed on a war footing, reverting to a low-level of operations during peacetime to maintain the manufacturing lines as a strategic asset.

The U.S. is reportedly still withholding the order of MK-84 bombs requested by the IDF, but has renewed shipments of the MK-83 half-ton bombs.

The Defense Ministry’s decision is part of a larger move to reduce Israel’s dependence on foreign weapons suppliers as countries across the globe impose partial or total arms embargos on the Jewish state.

In March, the Canadian government declared that it would stop all future weapon sales to Israel, while the new U.K. government is mulling a similar embargo.

Israel has already turned to a domestic arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems, to supply the IDF will artillery and tank shells previously sourced from abroad, including 120 mm and 155 mm shells.