Did Israel wait half a year to buy Israeli 155mm artillery shells because it
was waiting for free Made In USA shells?
Dr. Aaron Lerner 2 August 2023

IMRA asked Mayan Lazarovich of the MOD Spokesperson's Office a number of
questions relating to yesterday's announcement that The Israel Ministry of
Defense's Directorate of Production and Procurement (DOPP) signed a new
agreement with Elbit Systems to procure tens of thousands of 155mm artillery
shells for the use of the Israel Defense Forces' Artillery Corps with the
artillery shells expected to be delivered during 2024:

#1. Last January (seven months ago) the United States sent 300,000 155mm
artillery shells from the War Reserve Stockpile Ammunition-Israel (WRSA-I)
to the Ukraine. Is this purchase of tens of thousands of 155mm artillery
shells the first purchase made by the DOPP from an Israeli manufacturer
since then?

#2. Is the reason that Israel only now ordered 155mm artillery shells from
an Israeli factory is that Israel been waiting for the supply of "Made in
USA" 155mm artillery shells which are supplied at no cost to Israel and it
now turns out that its going to take a long time before "Made in USA" 155mm
artillery shells will be available because of the worldwide shortage of
155mm artillery shells due to the needs of the Ukraine?

Mayan Lazarovich replied that they have no information to add beyond the
announcement.

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