US says Israeli-made Iron Dome ready to ship out to Ukraine

The United States says one of the two Israeli-made Iron Dome anti-missile systems is ready for deployment to Ukraine pending a request from Kiev.

In a US Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces session about missile-defense issues on Thursday, US Army Space and Missile Defense Commanding General Daniel Karbler told the Senate one of the US-funded batteries is ready to be deployed to Ukraine, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.

Karbler was responding to Sen. Angus King's question about the reason for Kiev not receiving the system.

“We sent something like $3 billion to Israel to develop it… Wouldn’t this be a very important resource for the Ukrainians since their principal problem right now is missile defense?” King asked.

Karbler in response said the US currently has two Iron Dome batteries, one has completed new equipment fielding and is ready for deployment, and the other is not. 

“So the army does have one (Iron Dome battery) available for deployment if we get a request” from Ukraine, the general said. 

The illegal Zionist entity has been reluctant to provide Ukraine with weapons, including the Iron Dome. The regime's foreign ministry was even denounced by Kiev lately for sending two senior diplomats to Russia earlier this month on a rare visit, with the Ukrainian government saying, "Neutrality is not an option."

SS