The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee produced a Pentagon defense authorization bill that provides $60 million increased funding to aid partnership programs with Israel.

First, the panel added $25 million for co-production of the Arrow theater ballistic missile defense system (Israel Aerospace Industries is the lead on the Arrow program).

Then the SASC added $10 million to the Pentagon authorization bill for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2008, to study whether the Theater High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, system would be a suitable follow-on to the Israeli Arrow asset. (Please see full story in this issue on SASC action on THAAD and other missile shield systems.)

Finally, the SASC provided a $25 million increase for accelerated joint development of a short-range ballistic missile defense system for Israel.

While the United States is building a multi-layered ballistic missile defense shield against the potential eventuality that enemies someday might launch missiles into the United States or its allies, Israel has an urgent need for a missile shield now.

Terrorist groups over the past year have fired thousands of rockets and missiles into Israel, destroying many buildings and killing and maiming innocent men, women and children.