U.S. Seeks Israeli Iron Dome Missile Shield Tech Which It Funded

The US House Armed Services Committee (HASC) has asked the Missile Defense Agency to seek ways to acquire rights to the Iron Dome anti-missile technology of Israel which it funded to the tune of US$680 million. According to a request for information issued last week, the US Army is seeking information on whether U.S. contractors can build a missile-defense system similar to Israel's Iron Dome. The House has approved $680 million to help Israel build additional Iron Dome systems over the next fiscal year, with HASC noting in a report that the system has proven effective against incoming rockets. But despite the large U.S. investment in the program, "the United States has no rights to the technology involved," says the HASC report, which accompanied the committee's FY 13 NDAA. According to a US publication, ‘Politico Defense’, the report encourages the Missile Defense Agency to seek ways to acquire rights to the technology and to enter into a co-production agreement with Israel. There are three to five defense contractors in the United States capable of building a missile-defense system that resembles Iron Dome -- including Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. However, acquiring Israeli technology could prove to be a cheaper option than designing a new system from scratch.