Rep. Brian Mast
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) would advance development of the joint American-Israeli Arrow 3 system to defend against long-range missile attacks.
The U.S.-Israel Joint Missile Defense Act would authorize the secretary of defense to carry out tests of the exoatmospheric anti-ballistic missile defense program on U.S. soil in 2018.
“Following my time in the Army, I chose to volunteer alongside the Israeli Defense Forces because our countries share the common ideals of freedom, democracy and mutual respect for all people,” said Mast, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “There is undoubtedly a mutual benefit to the security of our nations in collaborating on missile defense. This bipartisan legislation would expedite the development of the Arrow 3 long-range missile defense system, which is absolutely critical to Israel’s defense and stability in the Middle East.”
Iran launched two ballistic missiles last year that traveled 870 miles to a target in southeastern Iran, which was a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), who introduced the bipartisan bill with Mast, said that as the threat of terror grows across the Middle East, it’s critical that the United States defend its ally and strengthen its military partnership with Israel.
“That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to advance the Arrow 3 long-range missile defense system — another critical step toward protecting Israel and the region from the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran and terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas.” Gottheimer said. “With a fully-operational Arrow 3 system, Israel will maintain its qualitative military edge by preventing long-range missiles from striking Israeli targets.”