The U.S. Congress has received notification from the Pentagon confirming the intention to sell Israel up to six Bell Boeing Osprey V-22Bs, in a deal that would reach 1.13 billion dollars (about 830 million euros). As of this moment, and as explained by the DCSA (Defense Security Cooperation Agency) through a statement, the U.S. Congress has 15 days to validate the operation or put any kind of inconvenience to the sale of the convertiplanes, which could be delivered to Israel in 2016. In addition, the deal would also include equipment, navigation systems, radars and missile warning systems, radios and viewing glasses. The contract, as specified in the statement, is a “vital” sale for US interests, in addition to “strengthening the capabilities of the Israel Defense Forces”. The Israeli interest in acquiring the Ospreys was officially announced last November by US Secretary of State Chuck Hagel, after months of talks between the two parties. Israel would thus become the first country in the world to which the US exports this type of aircraft. Japan, another historic US ally, is also very interested in incorporating these aircraft into its Self-Defense Forces, which could be in 2015, with the aim of optimizing its presence in East Asia.
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