30 aug 2016
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Video The Drakonit system will permit IDF soldiers to fire at targets up to 1.5 kilometers away without exiting their armored vehicles, providing them with greater protection.
The IDF Ground Forces' Technological Brigade have begun installing in recent months the "Drakonit" computerized firing network in "Achzarit" APCs, which are used in regular and reserve infantry brigades, and on the Combat Engineering Corps's older "Puma" armored vehicles. The Drakonit, manufactured by Elbit, allows the operation of a heavy machine gun on the roof of armored vehicles directly from the fighter's box without the soldier needing to extend their body outside and thus endanger themselves. |
Dual cameras for day and night are affixed to the outside of the Drakonit system, as well as a small radar that detects suspicious movements in the field and allows the force inside the APC to lock on and shoot at a target.
In addition, the Drakonit is outfitted with a system that allows marking and maximum precision for targeting. The target is identified at high resolution with the cameras at a nearly full radius of the APC, and its firepower is efficient up to a distance of 1,500 meters.
The Drakonit will be especially effective for routine security missions and ground maneuvers, and its installation on older APCs shows a lesson learnt from Operation Protective Edge.
In addition, the Drakonit is outfitted with a system that allows marking and maximum precision for targeting. The target is identified at high resolution with the cameras at a nearly full radius of the APC, and its firepower is efficient up to a distance of 1,500 meters.
The Drakonit will be especially effective for routine security missions and ground maneuvers, and its installation on older APCs shows a lesson learnt from Operation Protective Edge.
8 aug 2016
An old weapon appears to have re-emerged in Palestine.
Over the past six months, say activists in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military has resumed the use of Indoor Barricade Penetrators, a form of high velocity tear gas 40mm projectile designed to deliver its payload inside buildings or homes and used during raids, demonstrations and clashes.
The use of such heavy duty tear gas projectiles fell by the wayside in 2013 after a number of high-profile court cases demonstrated how easily this particular form of delivery could kill or maim. However, a modified version is now employed across the West Bank, say protestors, and no matter what claims the military and manufacturers may make, these barrier piercing projectiles remain potentially lethal.
Israel has used them to deadly effect before.
In 2009, Bassem Abu Rahmeh was killed during the weekly protest in the West Bank of Bilin, after he was struck in the chest with an Indoor Barricade Penetrator.
Just a few weeks earlier, Tristan Anderson, an American volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, was hit with a high velocity tear gas canister in the nearby town of Nilin. He didn’t die, but was permanently paralyzed on his left side and suffered massive brain damage.
Recent injuries
Anderson and Abu Rahmeh are among the best known victims of such attacks: many others sustained injuries.
According to Murad Shtaiwi, head of the popular resistance committee in the village of Kafr Qaddum, there have been three moderate injuries from these projectiles since March alone. Ahmad Nasser, a medic working in the Ramallah district, has noted two injuries at clashes outside Ofer prison in the same time period. Nasser himself was also struck with one of the projectiles, but was not injured since he was wearing a bulletproof kevlar vest.
Indoor Barricade Penetrators are a more dangerous means of using tear gas for several reasons. As the name implies, they are not intended for use directly against individuals, rather they are designed to penetrate doors, windows and interior drywalls, and release their payload inside a building.
US weapons manufacturer Combined Systems, a longstanding supplier of tear gas to the Israeli military, makes special note [PDF] that these “less lethal” weapons are intended for use on doors, windows and wallboard, and operators should take caution to avoid firing them in a way that risks hitting a person.
Like other kinds of tear gas, barrier penetrating projectiles are fired from a grenade launcher; however some models used by the Israeli military also have a secondary propulsion mechanism, which takes them further and faster. And unlike outdoor short range tear gas, it does not disperse gas until after impact. This means that protesters cannot see the trajectory of the projectiles until they are detonated, making them much more dangerous.
Harmful gas
In addition to the dangers posed as a high velocity projectile, activists from Ramallah and Nabi Saleh have also reported that the projectiles are more likely to carry an Oleoresin Capsicum- (OC spray — more commonly known as pepper spray) based gas than the more common, and less harmful, CS- (O-chlorobenzylidene malonitrile) based tear gas.
Manal Tamimi, an organizer in Nabi Saleh, cannot find a lab in the West Bank with the capacity to analyze the different types of tear gas. She told The Electronic Intifada that protesters who were exposed to gas from Indoor Barricade Penetrators exhibited symptoms consistent with OC gas, including immediate loss of motor control.
The renewed use of these tear gas projectiles has had a significant impact on demonstrations. In Kafr Qaddum, which Israeli soldiers raid on a regular basis, houses near the village’s weekly protest route have installed metal shutters to protect their interiors. But this provides little protection against a projectile that can move at 122 meters per second.
In Nabi Saleh, where demonstrators try to walk from the center of the village to a spring located in a nearby valley which Israel has confiscated for settlers, there’s little hope of ever getting close. The military can keep protesters at bay from a cool 500 meters with these tear gas projectiles, according to those who have taken part in the demonstrations.
Their renewed use was first noted in early 2016 by activists in Ramallah and came after a new wave of protest and deadly confrontation between Palestinians and the Israeli military that began in October last year.
Activists in Ramallah started to note the return of these tear gas projectiles during weekly demonstrations in Kafr Qaddum and Nabi Saleh and speculate that the army has chosen to reintroduce them because they serve a dual purpose: like live ammunition, it is long range and potentially deadly, thus keeping protesters farther away from soldiers than almost any other weapon. However, unlike live ammunition, deaths caused by high velocity tear gas can more easily written off as accidents.
The Israeli military declined to comment for this article.
For demonstrators who face these projectiles, the threat is very tangible.
“After the October uprisings, more Palestinians broke the wall of fear inside themselves. They began to take more risks,” said Tamimi. “This prompted the Israelis to find a weapon that will not directly cause death. In the middle of all the chaos … they don’t want more criticism.”
Clare Maxwell is a journalist and human rights activist working in the Salfit region of the West Bank.
Over the past six months, say activists in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military has resumed the use of Indoor Barricade Penetrators, a form of high velocity tear gas 40mm projectile designed to deliver its payload inside buildings or homes and used during raids, demonstrations and clashes.
The use of such heavy duty tear gas projectiles fell by the wayside in 2013 after a number of high-profile court cases demonstrated how easily this particular form of delivery could kill or maim. However, a modified version is now employed across the West Bank, say protestors, and no matter what claims the military and manufacturers may make, these barrier piercing projectiles remain potentially lethal.
Israel has used them to deadly effect before.
In 2009, Bassem Abu Rahmeh was killed during the weekly protest in the West Bank of Bilin, after he was struck in the chest with an Indoor Barricade Penetrator.
Just a few weeks earlier, Tristan Anderson, an American volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, was hit with a high velocity tear gas canister in the nearby town of Nilin. He didn’t die, but was permanently paralyzed on his left side and suffered massive brain damage.
Recent injuries
Anderson and Abu Rahmeh are among the best known victims of such attacks: many others sustained injuries.
According to Murad Shtaiwi, head of the popular resistance committee in the village of Kafr Qaddum, there have been three moderate injuries from these projectiles since March alone. Ahmad Nasser, a medic working in the Ramallah district, has noted two injuries at clashes outside Ofer prison in the same time period. Nasser himself was also struck with one of the projectiles, but was not injured since he was wearing a bulletproof kevlar vest.
Indoor Barricade Penetrators are a more dangerous means of using tear gas for several reasons. As the name implies, they are not intended for use directly against individuals, rather they are designed to penetrate doors, windows and interior drywalls, and release their payload inside a building.
US weapons manufacturer Combined Systems, a longstanding supplier of tear gas to the Israeli military, makes special note [PDF] that these “less lethal” weapons are intended for use on doors, windows and wallboard, and operators should take caution to avoid firing them in a way that risks hitting a person.
Like other kinds of tear gas, barrier penetrating projectiles are fired from a grenade launcher; however some models used by the Israeli military also have a secondary propulsion mechanism, which takes them further and faster. And unlike outdoor short range tear gas, it does not disperse gas until after impact. This means that protesters cannot see the trajectory of the projectiles until they are detonated, making them much more dangerous.
Harmful gas
In addition to the dangers posed as a high velocity projectile, activists from Ramallah and Nabi Saleh have also reported that the projectiles are more likely to carry an Oleoresin Capsicum- (OC spray — more commonly known as pepper spray) based gas than the more common, and less harmful, CS- (O-chlorobenzylidene malonitrile) based tear gas.
Manal Tamimi, an organizer in Nabi Saleh, cannot find a lab in the West Bank with the capacity to analyze the different types of tear gas. She told The Electronic Intifada that protesters who were exposed to gas from Indoor Barricade Penetrators exhibited symptoms consistent with OC gas, including immediate loss of motor control.
The renewed use of these tear gas projectiles has had a significant impact on demonstrations. In Kafr Qaddum, which Israeli soldiers raid on a regular basis, houses near the village’s weekly protest route have installed metal shutters to protect their interiors. But this provides little protection against a projectile that can move at 122 meters per second.
In Nabi Saleh, where demonstrators try to walk from the center of the village to a spring located in a nearby valley which Israel has confiscated for settlers, there’s little hope of ever getting close. The military can keep protesters at bay from a cool 500 meters with these tear gas projectiles, according to those who have taken part in the demonstrations.
Their renewed use was first noted in early 2016 by activists in Ramallah and came after a new wave of protest and deadly confrontation between Palestinians and the Israeli military that began in October last year.
Activists in Ramallah started to note the return of these tear gas projectiles during weekly demonstrations in Kafr Qaddum and Nabi Saleh and speculate that the army has chosen to reintroduce them because they serve a dual purpose: like live ammunition, it is long range and potentially deadly, thus keeping protesters farther away from soldiers than almost any other weapon. However, unlike live ammunition, deaths caused by high velocity tear gas can more easily written off as accidents.
The Israeli military declined to comment for this article.
For demonstrators who face these projectiles, the threat is very tangible.
“After the October uprisings, more Palestinians broke the wall of fear inside themselves. They began to take more risks,” said Tamimi. “This prompted the Israelis to find a weapon that will not directly cause death. In the middle of all the chaos … they don’t want more criticism.”
Clare Maxwell is a journalist and human rights activist working in the Salfit region of the West Bank.
1 aug 2016
The Defense Ministry promises that the new armored vehicle 'Eitan' is the most sophisticated and well-shielded. It is capable of seating up to 12 soldiers, reaching 90km per hour; its development was catalyzed after a deadly APC incident during Operation Protective Edge and in preparation for possible Lebanon war.
The Defense Ministry officially unveiled the most well-shielded and first wheeled new 'Eitan' armored personnel carrier (APC) on Monday which will be added to active duty use alongside the IDF's Namer ("Leopard") APCs, mainly used by the Golani brigade.
The new APC will be equipped with an active interception defense system capable of intercepting incoming anti-tank missiles—similar to the Trophy system already used by some IDF tanks. Despite this addition, the the 35-ton beast is expected to cost around half that of its predecesor, which costs approximately $3 million.
The IDF intends to gradually replace all of its outdated M-113 APCs, one of which was used during the APC disaster in Protective Edge, in which seven Golani fighters were killed by an anti-tank missile fired at their APC in the Gaza Strip.
The Eitan is said to be faster and more agile than the heavy Namer APC, and is able to reach speeds of 90 KPH with a 750 horsepower engine. It is also intended to be less reliant on trucks for its transportation (heavy IDF armored vehicles are usually transferred large distances by special trucks, in order to save fuel, as the armored vehicles' engines are less fuel-efficient. -ed).
The plans for a wheeled APC were initially born in the IDF prior to Protective Edge, but they were fast-tracked in thw wake of the occurrences of the 2014 Gaza operation. Moreover, its became concerned that ground forces, during a possible third war in Lebanon, would be forced to maneuver through hostile territory in obsolete armored vehicles.
Despite hopes that the Eitan will be better suited to avert similar catastrophies which beset the IDF in 2014, the Defense Ministry did not shy away from admittng that wheels, rather than tracks, represented a disadvantage if actually struck by an enemy missile.
"The built-in disadvantage to a wheeled vehicle is its (diminished) ability to be protected in the battlefield, even though we've shielded the Eitan as much as possible," the defense ministry said in a statement.
The first Eitan APCs will undergo shielding experiments and operational tests after which the IDF will decide on the scope of the new armored vehicle's use.
The Defense Ministry officially unveiled the most well-shielded and first wheeled new 'Eitan' armored personnel carrier (APC) on Monday which will be added to active duty use alongside the IDF's Namer ("Leopard") APCs, mainly used by the Golani brigade.
The new APC will be equipped with an active interception defense system capable of intercepting incoming anti-tank missiles—similar to the Trophy system already used by some IDF tanks. Despite this addition, the the 35-ton beast is expected to cost around half that of its predecesor, which costs approximately $3 million.
The IDF intends to gradually replace all of its outdated M-113 APCs, one of which was used during the APC disaster in Protective Edge, in which seven Golani fighters were killed by an anti-tank missile fired at their APC in the Gaza Strip.
The Eitan is said to be faster and more agile than the heavy Namer APC, and is able to reach speeds of 90 KPH with a 750 horsepower engine. It is also intended to be less reliant on trucks for its transportation (heavy IDF armored vehicles are usually transferred large distances by special trucks, in order to save fuel, as the armored vehicles' engines are less fuel-efficient. -ed).
The plans for a wheeled APC were initially born in the IDF prior to Protective Edge, but they were fast-tracked in thw wake of the occurrences of the 2014 Gaza operation. Moreover, its became concerned that ground forces, during a possible third war in Lebanon, would be forced to maneuver through hostile territory in obsolete armored vehicles.
Despite hopes that the Eitan will be better suited to avert similar catastrophies which beset the IDF in 2014, the Defense Ministry did not shy away from admittng that wheels, rather than tracks, represented a disadvantage if actually struck by an enemy missile.
"The built-in disadvantage to a wheeled vehicle is its (diminished) ability to be protected in the battlefield, even though we've shielded the Eitan as much as possible," the defense ministry said in a statement.
The first Eitan APCs will undergo shielding experiments and operational tests after which the IDF will decide on the scope of the new armored vehicle's use.
31 july 2016
Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot landed in the United Stated on Sunday in an effort to bridge the few remaining gaps with the American government on the signing of a new military aid package. One of his stops will be a visit to the first operational F-35 squadron.
IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot landed in the United States on Sunday for a four-day visit, as the guest of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford.
Lt. Gen Eisenkot will meet with security personnel in Utah, Florida, and Washington during his visit. They will discuss joint security challenges, Middle East security, and military cooperation.
One of Eisenkot's main topics of discussion with his American counterparts will be the American military aid package to Israel. It now seems that the two sides are close to bridging the gaps on the deal, which may be agreed upon as early as this week. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has stated on multiple occasions that the multy-year deal will be signed before Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year), which this year will take place on October 2.
The aid deal is a document that is signed once every decade. As party of the latest deal, Israel received some $3.1 billion a year in military aid money. This time however, Israel increased its request to approximately $5 billion in annual aid money.
One of the main disagreements the two sides have relates to several conditions considered unacceptable to Israel. One of these is the demand the Israel not be allowed to use the money to make purchases in Israel. Such a demand could hypothetically bring about the dismissal of thousands of workers in the Israeli security industry, since such an agreement would seriously hinder Israel's security industry's profit capacity. Currently, Israel is allowed to use up to 26.3 percent of aid funds to make purchases from Israeli firms.
A second demand by the US is that Israel refrain from using the aid money for fuel purchases in an effort to maximize Israeli purchases of US military industry products. This would compel Israel to search its coffers for an additional NIS 400 million for its defense budget for fuel purchases which would have an adverse effect on other sectors.
IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot landed in the United States on Sunday for a four-day visit, as the guest of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford.
Lt. Gen Eisenkot will meet with security personnel in Utah, Florida, and Washington during his visit. They will discuss joint security challenges, Middle East security, and military cooperation.
One of Eisenkot's main topics of discussion with his American counterparts will be the American military aid package to Israel. It now seems that the two sides are close to bridging the gaps on the deal, which may be agreed upon as early as this week. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has stated on multiple occasions that the multy-year deal will be signed before Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year), which this year will take place on October 2.
The aid deal is a document that is signed once every decade. As party of the latest deal, Israel received some $3.1 billion a year in military aid money. This time however, Israel increased its request to approximately $5 billion in annual aid money.
One of the main disagreements the two sides have relates to several conditions considered unacceptable to Israel. One of these is the demand the Israel not be allowed to use the money to make purchases in Israel. Such a demand could hypothetically bring about the dismissal of thousands of workers in the Israeli security industry, since such an agreement would seriously hinder Israel's security industry's profit capacity. Currently, Israel is allowed to use up to 26.3 percent of aid funds to make purchases from Israeli firms.
A second demand by the US is that Israel refrain from using the aid money for fuel purchases in an effort to maximize Israeli purchases of US military industry products. This would compel Israel to search its coffers for an additional NIS 400 million for its defense budget for fuel purchases which would have an adverse effect on other sectors.
21 june 2016
Israel’s newly installed defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, met Monday with his U.S. counterpart, Ashton Carter.
Lieberman, who last month replaced longtime defense minister Moshe Yaalon, is in Washington, D.C., seeking to reassure Israel’s closest ally that the transition will be smooth.
“Secretary Carter and Minister Lieberman reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.- Israeli defense relationship and the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” the Pentagon said in a statement after the meeting.
The Pentagon statement said Lieberman would travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to see the rollout of the first F-35, or joint strike fighter, meant for use in Israel.
The F-35 is believed to be the most advanced combat jet in use. “Israel will be the first foreign partner to receive the F-35, which will play a key role in maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East,” the statement said.
Lieberman, who last month replaced longtime defense minister Moshe Yaalon, is in Washington, D.C., seeking to reassure Israel’s closest ally that the transition will be smooth.
“Secretary Carter and Minister Lieberman reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.- Israeli defense relationship and the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” the Pentagon said in a statement after the meeting.
The Pentagon statement said Lieberman would travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to see the rollout of the first F-35, or joint strike fighter, meant for use in Israel.
The F-35 is believed to be the most advanced combat jet in use. “Israel will be the first foreign partner to receive the F-35, which will play a key role in maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East,” the statement said.
16 june 2016
White House prepared to augment renewed aid package to Israel with funds intended to increase missile defense; Following Obama's apparent rejection, anonymous official says US 'prepared to make an unprecedented multi-year missile defense commitment.'
The Obama administration is prepared to incorporate missile defense funds in a new long-term agreement on military aid for Israel, a US official said on Wednesday, accommodating in principle a key request by its ally in the ongoing talks.
Disputes over the scope and fine print of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) have clouded already difficult ties between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama during the latter's final months in office.
The current MOU, signed in 2007 and due to expire in 2018, allocated to Israel around $30 billion in so-called foreign military financing. Israel has been seeking an increase of around $10 billion for the next decade hoping that the additional aid be earmarked for missile defense projects that were hitherto funded ad hoc by the US Congress.
US negotiators previously proposed a total of $3.5 billion to $3.7 billion annually for Israel under the new MOU, but did not say whether this might include missile defense funds. A senior US official was more forthcoming on Wednesday.
"We are prepared to make an unprecedented multi-year missile defense commitment as part of a new memorandum of understanding with Israel on military assistance," the official, who requested anonymity, said.
"This commitment, which would amount to billions of dollars over 10 years, would be the first long-term pledge on missile defense support to Israel, affording Israel robust support for its missile defense, as well as predictability and facilitating long-term planning."
US lawmakers have, in recent years, given Israel up to $600 million in annual discretionary funds for missile defense, well beyond the $150 million requested by the Obama administration.
On Tuesday, the White House opposed a proposal to include $600 million for Israeli missile defense to an appropriations bill for the fiscal year starting on Oct. 1.
Netanyahu came out with a rare statement on the MOU talks, in the face of Israeli opposition accusations that he is endangering American largesse by feuding with Obama over Iran's nuclear program and Palestinian peace talks.
Netanyahu's office said on Twitter that the White House's move on Tuesday was part of an "internal debate" with Congress about supplementary missile defense funding for Israel.
"There has been no cut in American assistance," it tweeted. "Prime Minister Netanyahu is working to anchor this supplement as part of the discussions on the assistance agreement for the next ten years. Not only will security assistance for missile defense not be cut, it will be increased."
However, Netanyahu's acting national security adviser, Jacob Nagel, made clear that an agreement had not yet been reached. Israeli officials have hinted that, if the disputes persist, they might await the next US president in hope of getting a better MOU.
Netanyahu's government was working to wrap up the talks with the Obama administration, Nagel told reporters. But he added: "When we conclude that we have arrived at the final (US) offer, we will decide if we want it or not."
Another sticking point has been a US demand to reduce the amount of aid money - now 26.3 percent - that Israel can spend on its own military industries rather than on American products.
Visiting Israel for strategic talks, US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said it had received $8.5 million a day from the Obama administration in defense aid.
In a speech to the annual Herzliya Conference, Blinken did not give details on the MOU talks, but he said Washington was ready to give Israel "the largest single pledge of military assistance from the United States to any country in our history, cementing an unparalleled security relationship all the way to 2029".
The Obama administration is prepared to incorporate missile defense funds in a new long-term agreement on military aid for Israel, a US official said on Wednesday, accommodating in principle a key request by its ally in the ongoing talks.
Disputes over the scope and fine print of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) have clouded already difficult ties between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama during the latter's final months in office.
The current MOU, signed in 2007 and due to expire in 2018, allocated to Israel around $30 billion in so-called foreign military financing. Israel has been seeking an increase of around $10 billion for the next decade hoping that the additional aid be earmarked for missile defense projects that were hitherto funded ad hoc by the US Congress.
US negotiators previously proposed a total of $3.5 billion to $3.7 billion annually for Israel under the new MOU, but did not say whether this might include missile defense funds. A senior US official was more forthcoming on Wednesday.
"We are prepared to make an unprecedented multi-year missile defense commitment as part of a new memorandum of understanding with Israel on military assistance," the official, who requested anonymity, said.
"This commitment, which would amount to billions of dollars over 10 years, would be the first long-term pledge on missile defense support to Israel, affording Israel robust support for its missile defense, as well as predictability and facilitating long-term planning."
US lawmakers have, in recent years, given Israel up to $600 million in annual discretionary funds for missile defense, well beyond the $150 million requested by the Obama administration.
On Tuesday, the White House opposed a proposal to include $600 million for Israeli missile defense to an appropriations bill for the fiscal year starting on Oct. 1.
Netanyahu came out with a rare statement on the MOU talks, in the face of Israeli opposition accusations that he is endangering American largesse by feuding with Obama over Iran's nuclear program and Palestinian peace talks.
Netanyahu's office said on Twitter that the White House's move on Tuesday was part of an "internal debate" with Congress about supplementary missile defense funding for Israel.
"There has been no cut in American assistance," it tweeted. "Prime Minister Netanyahu is working to anchor this supplement as part of the discussions on the assistance agreement for the next ten years. Not only will security assistance for missile defense not be cut, it will be increased."
However, Netanyahu's acting national security adviser, Jacob Nagel, made clear that an agreement had not yet been reached. Israeli officials have hinted that, if the disputes persist, they might await the next US president in hope of getting a better MOU.
Netanyahu's government was working to wrap up the talks with the Obama administration, Nagel told reporters. But he added: "When we conclude that we have arrived at the final (US) offer, we will decide if we want it or not."
Another sticking point has been a US demand to reduce the amount of aid money - now 26.3 percent - that Israel can spend on its own military industries rather than on American products.
Visiting Israel for strategic talks, US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said it had received $8.5 million a day from the Obama administration in defense aid.
In a speech to the annual Herzliya Conference, Blinken did not give details on the MOU talks, but he said Washington was ready to give Israel "the largest single pledge of military assistance from the United States to any country in our history, cementing an unparalleled security relationship all the way to 2029".
