US building air bases and ammunition warehouses in Israel
The US is building new infrastructure for Israeli aircraft and helicopters, along with other military buildings, according to public records.
The current projects total more than $250m, with future ones expected to exceed $1bn, according to a call for interested contractors originally scheduled for June but postponed due to the Israel-Iran conflict. The Israeli news site Haaretz reported on the public documents on Monday.
The US Army Corps of Engineers is using contractors to build ammunition depots and facilities for refuelling aircraft and helicopters, along with concrete structures for Israeli military bases. The documents also show that the US is looking for contractors to perform building maintenance repairs, including on air fields.
One project for hangers, maintenance rooms and storage facilities for new Boeing KC-46 tankers that Israel is expected to receive in the coming years is projected to cost over $100m.
Another project to house CH-53K helicopters is projected to cost up to $250m.
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The US is also seeking tenders for the construction of ammunition storage buildings, which are estimated to cost up to $100m.
Another tender spans seven years and is priced not to exceed $900m. It includes maintenance, repairs, construction, demolition, and infrastructure improvements at unspecified locations for the Israeli Ministry of Defence.
The projects are funded by foreign military financing. Israel receives $3.8bn annually in military aid. Under this system, the US and Israel decide how to spend the funds which go to US defence contractors. Since the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, it has also received supplemental military aid totalling about $18bn.
The US has previously used military aid to construct and maintain Israeli infrastructure. Previous public tender documents show that in 2012, the US did large-scale work at the Nevatim air base.
The Washington Post reported at the time that the US was involved in the construction of a secret complex, which was named site “911”.
The construction projects reported on Monday were planned before the recent Israel-Iran conflict.
On Tuesday, Reuters cited an Israeli official confirming that Iranian ballistic missiles hit some Israeli military sites during their unprecedented 12-day conflict with Iran.
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