US Offers 10 Billion Weapons Package to Counter Iran Threats

April 24,2013

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is wrapping up a trip to the Middle East - where he delivered a $10 billion weapons package to Israel and some of Washington's Arab allies as a sign of U.S support in the face of Iranian threats.

Secretary Hagel's visit to Israel could have been awkward. He was accused of being anti-Israel during his nomination hearing. But he got a warm welcome as did the weapons package he took with him.

"The United States will make available to Israel a set of advanced new military capabilities, including anti-radiation missiles and advanced radars for its fleet of fighter jets, KC-135 refueling aircraft, and most significantly, the V-22 Osprey, which the U.S. has not released to any other nation," Hagel said.

The offerings are a clear sign to Iran which poses the biggest threat to Israel and the values it shares with the U.S. - as Hagel was reminded by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Nowhere are these values and interests challenged more than by the arming of terrorist groups by Iran with sophisticated weapons, and equally, Iran's attempt to arm itself with nuclear weapons," Netanyahu said.

A big challenge for Israel is the distance its jets would have to travel to hit Iranian nuclear targets, if it chose to do that. The new refueling aircraft will help close the gap, says defense analyst Tim Brown.