US Emergency Reserves in Israel

The US Congressional report, which IsraelDefense has obtained, reveals that the US is holding military equipment in Israel, which includes missiles, armored vehicles, and artillery ammunition worth hundreds of millions of US dollars

US Emergency Reserves in Israel

The United States is holding emergency reserves of military equipment in Israel at a total worth of $800 million, which is expected to increase in scope in the near future and reach $1.2 billion.

These details are uncovered in the report of the US Congressional Research Service. According to the report, Israeli leaders have decided to increase “the strategic cooperation” with the US since the 1980s, inviting the US to store military equipment in Israel.

The report states that nearly a decade later, the US responded to the proposal, and transferred military equipment for storage in Israel. The equipment is intended for US use during war, and Israel may use the equipment in an emergency pending US approval.
 
The US command in Europe, EUCOM, is responsible for the military equipment stored in Israel. The report states that the US has stored missiles, armored vehicles, and artillery ammunition.

The report quotes “an Israeli officer” who says that all the equipment  officially belongs to the US Army; however, in the event of a military conflict, the IDF can ask for permission to use some of the equipment. The report further reveals that the US approved Israeli access to the US emergency depots during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

According to the report, the total worth of the US military equipment stored in Israel was initially worth $100 million, but its scope increased over time, reaching $800 million as of 2010. The report also states that an amendment was made to US law in 2010, which allows for increasing the worth of military equipment in Israeli emergency depots to as much as $1.2 billion.