‘Roaring Lion’: 1,000 tons of military equipment land in Israel

The Trump administration has invoked emergency authority to expedite the sale of more than 20,000 bombs to Israel worth approximately $650 million, bypassing congressional review.

By JNS

About 50 cargo aircraft carrying over 1,000 tons of weaponry, military equipment, and various types of munitions have landed in Israel since the start of “Operation Roaring Lion” on Feb. 28, the Israel Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Monday.

As part of the war effort carried out in Iran and Lebanon, the large-scale shipping operation is “conducted under fire” to serve operational needs of the Israel Defense Forces and in preparation for the next phases of the military campaign, the ministry said.

The airlift is expected to scale up in the coming period, the IMOD added.

This logistics operation is led by the IMOD Defense Procurement Directorate (DPD) through its International Shipping Division; the IMOD Missions to the United States and Germany; and the IDF’s Planning Directorate, the statement read.

The Israel Airports Authority and Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority are also partners in the operation.

On Saturday, Reuters reported that the Trump administration has invoked emergency authority to expedite the sale of more than 20,000 bombs to Israel worth approximately $650 million, bypassing congressional review.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined an emergency existed requiring immediate action, waiving standard legislative oversight.

The Reuters report came on the backdrop of an IMOD announcement the previous day that the Israeli government is set to acquire Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) from the United States as part of its comprehensive support for the ground forces of the IDF, valued at approximately $26 million.