The Trump administration is planning a $2.8 billion munitions sale to Israel, including 20,000 MK 84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 2,000-pound bombs, a congressman who is part of the House Armed Services Committee told JNS.
The administration has reportedly told congressional committees that review major U.S. arms sales about the proposal informally. The congressman spoke to JNS on background.
The sale has yet to be finalized.
Some Democrats have said they would block the sale. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) called it “beyond acceptable” and said that “U.S. weapons are being used to perpetrate a genocide.”
John Spencer, an expert on urban warfare, wrote that “vilifying a single type of munitions like a 2,000-pound bomb and not the purpose/details of the specific use of any weapon is wrong and dangerous.”
“The primary purpose of 2,000-pound munitions, including general purpose bombs like the MK-84 and BLU-117, satellite-guided units like the GBU-31and specialized penetrator warheads like the I-2000, is to destroy heavily fortified structures, reinforced concrete buildings, deeply buried tunnel networks and underground military bunkers,” Spencer stated.
“The tactical need for these weapons is clear. Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran all rely heavily on deep, subterranean defense networks such as the Gaza tunnel system, bunkers in southern Lebanon, mountain missile silos in Yemen and buried nuclear, missile, command facilities in Iran,” he added. “Conducting operations against them requires heavy, large-diameter, penetrating munitions.”
The Washington Post first reported the plan.
