November 12, 2007: The U.S. is
buying $700 million worth of military gear from Israel. Such sales have been
increasing year by year. The latest buy includes things like Lightning
targeting pods, high tech helmets for fighter pilots (Israel supplied most of
the technology for the new U.S. JHMCS helmets), and numerous other bits of
military components and technology. While Israel buys a lot of American weapons
(mainly major systems, like jet fighters, that tiny Israel cannot afford to
build), Israel has developed a lot of unique, and combat proven weapons and
military technology. A lot of this stuff used American weapons as a starting
point, then improved on that. Israel has become a major exporter weapons, and
now accounts for about ten percent of world arms exports. The U.S. accounts for
about a third of arms exports. Thus three nations, the U.S., Britain and
Israel, supply about half the worlds arms exports (currently nearly $50 billion
a year).