US to add $173 million for Israel missile defense

A defense funding bill for fiscal year 2014 proposed Monday by members of the US House and Senate Armed Services Committees would increase American missile defense spending by some $358 million (NIS 1.25 billion), bringing the total to $9.5 billion (NIS 33.2 billion).

The measure also raises spending on missile defense systems developed between the US and Israel by $173 million (NIS 604 million), Reuters reported.

Funds for missile defense collaboration are separate from the average $3 billion (NIS 10.5 billion) in defense assistance Israel receives from the United States annually .

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