Wnited States Senate WASHINGTON, DC 20510 May 2, 2014 “The Honorable Richard Durbin ‘The Honorable William Thad Cochran Chairman Ranking Member Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Senate Defense Appropriations SD-122 Dirksen Senate Office Building SD-122 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C, Dear Chairman Durbin and Ranking Member Cochran: ‘As you begin your work on the Fiscal Year 2015 Defense Appropriations bill, we write in strong support of fully funding U.S.-Israeli cooperation on missile defense. ‘The Fiscal Year 2015 President's budget request includes funds for all three Cooperative Missile Defense Programs (Arrow System Improvement Program, Arrow III upper tier interceptor, and David's Sling) and a separate request for Iron Dome. During the past several fiscal years, Congress has appropriated funding for joint U.S.-Israeli missile defense cooperation exceeding the President’s Dudget request. During consideration of your FY15 bill, we respectfully request that you fund U.S.- Isracl cooperation on missile defense to a level that will allow Israel to fully meet its national security needs. As you know, the United States and Istuel have a long history of successful partnership on missile defense, The cooperative programs being jointly developed by the United States and Israel have developed, and continue to develop, critical capabilities that protect Istael from rrissile and rocket threats from as far as Tran and as near as Lebanon. In March 2014, the U.S. and Israeli governments signed a co-production agecement that deepens cooperation on Iron Dome by establishing the terms by which components of the Iron Dome system will be manufactured in the Uxited States. This agreement will provide the US. Missile Defense Agency with essential program management, contracting, and technical data information. ‘As with the three cooperative missile defense programs, Iron Dome meets a cote Israeli national security requirement. It is designed to intercept very short-range rocket threats between two and forty-five miles, primarily fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, Syria, Lebanon, ot the Sinai Peninsula, Iron Dome'’s selective targeting system and radar are designed to fire its ‘Tamir interceptors only at incoming projectiles that pose threats to population centers. We urge you to fully fand U.SIstaeli joint missile defense programs so that Israel can continue to develop and improve the three cooperative missile defense programs, and to purchase sufficientIron Dome systems, including co-production for those systems in the United States, to protect Israel's population against a continuing threat, Sincerely, Kirsten Gillibrand Mark Kirk United States Senator United States Senator a. Robert Menendez. United States Senator Kelly Aj United States Senator Oe Bhar ‘Tim Johnson United States Senator pon M Cobbive- ‘Susan Collins ‘United States Senator United States Senator Christopher A. Coons United States Senator United States Senatorftlcd bmanfief Richard Blumenthal United States Senator Joe Manchin United States jarbara Boxer United States Senator Se United States Senater a) United States Senater Edward Markey 5: & ¢ United States Senatcr anne Feinstein United States Senator ‘States Senator Jar [Ze - ‘Tim Kaine United States Senator ALZ Ron Wyden United States Senator Charles E. Schumer United States SenatorJeanne Shaheen Cory A. Booker United States Senator United States Senator Brian Schatz Amy co United States Senator United States Senator Al Franken Martin Heinrich United States Senator United States Senator