A bipartisan group of senators of the US Senate Armed Services Committee sent a letter to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin late Tuesday night (October 10), asking him to send two Iron Dome batteries to Israel as soon as possible.
NBC News was the first to report about the letter - signed by senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Rick Scott (R-FL) - in the aftermath of a viscous attack on Israel by Hamas that shocked the world.
United in Helping Israel Defending Itself
The senators wrote that they believed Israel might "urgently require" additional missile defense capacity to protect its citizens and territory.
"As you know, the United States Army is currently in possession of two Iron Dome batteries that have not been deployed and have no operational use inside the United States where they are currently stored," they wrote.
"Immediately transferring these two Iron Dome batteries that are not in use to Israel would provide tangible, life-saving, and sustained support to our ally as it faces rocket and missile salvos that threaten to overwhelm its defenses."
The senators also asked Austin to provide Israel with "other defensive assets" they could use in repelling Hamas rocket and missile strikes in the face of an "unprecedented onslaught of terrorist violence."
US President Joe Biden addressed the public on Tuesday that Hamas's attack on Israel was an "act of sheer evil" and promised to provide material and diplomatic support to the Jewish state.
About the Iron Dome
The Iron Dome anti-missile system launches interceptors to block incoming rockets, artillery, and mortars, striking them mid-flight and causing them to explode in the air. It focuses on low-altitude projectiles, usually unguided.
An advantage of the Iron Dome batteries is that they could be moved around to prevent them from being hit by enemy rockets or falling into enemy hands in the worst-case scenario. Israel has at least 10 batteries spread throughout the country to protect population centers.
Israel Defense Force officials said Hamas has already fired more than 4,500 rockets since Saturday's (October 7) initial assault. While the Iron Dome intercepted most of the rockets, saving lives and infrastructure in Israel, a few hit their targets.
The U.S. has spent nearly $3 billion on Iron Dome batteries, interceptors, and other costs, according to the Congressional Research Service. Israel uses a variant known as Tamir interceptors, many of which are manufactured at Raytheon's missile and defense facility in Tucson, Arizona, and then assembled in Israel.
