A U.S. House of Representatives committee voted to provide funding for a ballistic missile defense system developed jointly by the United States and Israel. The appropriations committee voted last week to provide $26 million in funding for the Arrow System Improvement Program, which tests the capacity of the Arrow weapons system. “In light of Iran’s open hostility toward the U.S. and Israel, I consider increasing the effectiveness of the Arrow system to be essential to our defense,” said Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), who requested the additional funding. The House version of the 2008 defense appropriations bill requests $79.2 million for the Arrow program, which includes the $26 million request by Rothman and $53.2 million for ongoing programs. The total recommended funding for the U.S.-Israeli Arrow weapons system tops $142.6 million, with $37.4 million for the co-production and feasibility study of the short-range missile defense program known commonly as “David’s sling.” Prior to 2001, funding requests for the Arrow program came from the Senate appropriations committee.
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