During his official visit to Israel earlier this week, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced a new arms package for the US ally. In a joint appearance with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon at Israel’s defense ?headquarters in Tel Aviv on April 22, Hagel said the proposed deal would include anti-radiation missiles, radar upgrades for Israel’s tactical fighters, KC-135 refueling aircraft, and the V-22 Osprey. This would mark the first foreign sale of the V-22. “These decisions underscore that military-to-military cooperation between the US and Israel is stronger than ever,” said Hagel, who is on his inaugural trip to the Middle East as Defense Secretary. US defense officials also announced that the United Arab Emirates is expected to move forward during Hagel’s trip with the purchase of 25 additional F-16 Block 60 fighters to add to its existing fleet of some 80 of these airplanes. The United States also intends to sell advanced air-launched standoff weapons to the UAE and to Saudi Arabia for their respective fighters, they said. (Hagel-Ya’alon transcript) (Includes AFPS report by Cheryl Pellerin and second Pellerin report.)
In the wake of a major Chinese military shakeup, the head of U.S. Space Command warned of China’s “breathtakingly fast” advances in space during visits to Japan and South Korea. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting’s trip to the Indo-Pacific is his first overseas visit since taking command of SPACECOM in January.