Washington Okays Selling “Israel” 18 CH-53k Helicopters
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The United States okays selling “Israel” up to 18 CH-53K heavy-lift cargo helicopters, and the US State Department assures commitment to helping “Israel” in developing and maintaining a strong, ready self-defense capability.
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CH-53K heavy-lift cargo helicopter (Archive)
The US State Department has approved the potential sale of 18 Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters produced by Lockheed Martin Corp to "Israel" in a deal worth up to $3.4 billion, according to Israeli news website "Walla."
Engines, navigation systems, weapons, support equipment, supplies, and technical support, according to the website, would be included in the package, adding that Lockheed Martin Corp and General Electric Co are the prime contractors on the deal.
The US State Department stated that it is committed to “Israel's” security and assisting it in developing and maintaining a robust and ready self-defense capability, which is critical to US national interests.
According to the deal, “Israel” will purchase 18 helicopters from the United States, each for $83.5 million, for a total of $3 billion.
The CH-53K King Stallion is a heavy-lift cargo helicopter, and the largest the US army possesses. In May 2018, the US Marine Corps received the first of these aircraft.
For its part, “Hamas” criticized the US-Israeli arms deal, noting that it encourages the Israeli occupation to continue its aggression against the Palestinian people and their sanctities, and to further terrorize the Palestinian people and loot their land.
Furthermore, “Hamas” Spokesman Hazem Qassem asserted that as the US continues to provide "Israel" with weapons, money, and political cover for its occupation practices, this makes the US a collaborator in the aggression against Palestine.
“Israeli” newspaper, "Yediot Aharonot", mentioned earlier in February that “the array of old transport helicopters is collapsing,” but it was the political paralysis in “Israel” that hindered the completion of the arms purchase deal.
