The United States has denied a report that the White House refused a request by Israel to purchase Apache helicopters.
Israeli media reported last week that the US had thus far refused a request from the Netanyahu government for additional Boeing AH-64 Apache military attack helicopters.
The request was allegedly submitted to the Pentagon in recent weeks, as well as having been raised by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during his meetings with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Secretary’s visit to Israel about two weeks ago.
However, a State Department spokesperson told JewishPress.com on Sunday night that reports the White House had refused the request were “inaccurate.
“The United States is committed to the security of Israel and it is vital to US national interests to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against the threats it faces,” the spokesperson said.
IDF military aircraft have been flying sorties over Gaza, and in some cases over Lebanon and Syria, nearly non-stop since the October 7th invasion of Israel by Hamas-led terrorists and civilians from Gaza, under cover of massive rocket fire aimed at cities across the Jewish State.
Some 3,000 terrorists and Gaza civilians tortured, beheaded, mutilated, raped, burned alive and slaughtered more than 1,200 people in their rampage across dozens of villages and military bases in southern Israel, in addition to kidnapping 250 others, dragging them into captivity in Gaza. At least 129 of those hostages are still being held in Gaza, including the bodies of those killed while in captivity.
Lebanon’s Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, began its own attacks on civilians and soldiers in northern Israel on October 8th, one day after Hamas launched its war against the Jewish State.
Israel has maintained a finely-tuned rhythm of responding to each Hezbollah attack with artillery fire and air strikes of its own, but has refrained from otherwise escalating the conflict in the north.
In the south, however, Israeli fighter pilots have been working in the skies over Gaza non-stop, providing air cover for soldiers on the ground in addition to coordinating air strikes with infantry and other combat personnel to target hard-to-hit terrorists and booby-trapped structures.
Although the IDF is beginning to transition to a third, less intensive phase in the fighting in Gaza, military aircraft are still flying multiple sorties over the enclave, while the situation in the north appears to be escalating, thus necessitating increased flight hours by Israeli fighter pilots. Maintenance of the aircraft, which has to be carried out between missions, is essential but means more ground time and fewer pilots in the air.
Earlier this year (May 2023), Israeli media reported that the IDF was set to purchase 20 new helicopters from the United States, with plans to phase out 24 Apache “Patan” helicopters by 2024. The helicopters to be phased out were to be replaced by new acquisitions from the United States.
