Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant arrived Thursday morning in Brussels, where he is meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
The two men are expected to discuss “our shared commitment to ensuring that Iran will never gain military nuclear capabilities,” Gallant said prior to his departure.
“In anticipation of this discussion, I met with the Prime Minister and senior defense officials, and reviewed the measures required to ensure Israel’s qualitative edge in the Middle East region,” he added.
Gallant is also expected to again ask Austin to expedite the delivery of the four KC-46 tankers purchased by Israel in 2022, to enable IDF preparations for a possible military strike against Iranian nuclear sites.
The Pentagon announced in September 2021 that it had approved a $927 million foreign military sale contract with Boeing to provide Israel with four KC-46As. However, at present the first aircraft is not expected to arrive before 2025, after a possible Iranian nuclear breakout.
Moreover, Israeli military personnel have not been trained on the aircraft — another requirement to facilitate immediate use of the tankers once they arrive.
In an op-ed published in the The Washington Times on May 1 by US Reps. August Pfluger, Rob Wittman, Chris Stewart and Michael Makovsky, the lawmakers noted that KC-46A tanker “would provide the single greatest boost to Israeli capabilities against Iran and demonstrate US support for its Israeli partner.”
The lawmakers, members of the “Mach-1 Caucus,” comprised of former military aviators, announced they were sponsoring a bipartisan and bicameral bill encouraging the secretary of the Air Force to prepare Israel to fly this advanced tanker as soon as possible.
The bill requires the Department of Defense to forward-deploy at least one KC-46A in Israel until it receives its first tanker in 2025 as a “powerful and consistent deterrent against Iran.”
The lawmakers also urged the Biden Administration to “provide Israel with KC-46A tankers and train its pilots without further delay to ensure this uniquely capable partner can continue to defend itself and US interests.”
Gallant to Meet European Counterparts, Belgian Jewish Leaders
During his visit to Belgium, Gallant will also meet the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi.
In addition, the defense minister will meet with leaders of the Belgian Jewish community and Jewish organizations at the Great Synagogue of Brussels.
In the following days, Gallant is scheduled to travel to Paris and participate in the “Le Bourget” Airshow. Within the framework of the exhibition, the Israeli defense minister will meet his counterparts from France, Italy, Hungary and Romania.
Gallant will also tour the Israeli national pavilion and deliver remarks during the inauguration ceremony led by the International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT), in the Israel Ministry of Defense.
