Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — In an unprecedented step, an Israeli subsidiary has
been contracted by the United States to supply equipment to Arab militaries.

The U.S. Defense Department has awarded the U.S. subsidiary of Elbit
Systems a contract to supply aircraft components to such Arab League states
as Iraq and Kuwait. The $31 million contract to Vision Systems International
also stipulated unidentified equipment for Israel.

“Using military services are Navy, Air Force, Iraq, Belgium, Kuwait,
Taiwan, and Chile,” the Pentagon said.

In a statement on May 17, the Pentagon said the supply contract would
last through October 2015. The Pentagon said the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation would oversee the project.

This marked the first announcement that an Israeli subsidiary would be
openly supplying Arab militaries. VSI is owned by Elbit and the U.S. firm
Rockwell Collins and has been supplying helmet-mounted cueing systems to all arms of the U.S. military for aircraft that included the Joint Strike
Fighter.

In May, Kuwait’s parliament demanded an investigation into alleged sales
of Israeli equipment. At the same time, Israeli miltary equipment was
reported to have been sent through another GCC state, Qatar, and seized in Algeria.

VSI, based in Fort Worth, Texas, has long been marketing in the Middle
East. The company has attended such prestigious shows as the
International Defense Exhibition, or IDEX, in the United Arab Emirates.

“This contract is a foreign military sales contract for various aircraft
spare parts, new aircraft installs, and support equipment,” the Pentagon
said. “Locations of performance are Texas, Oregon, and Israel with a January
31, 2015 performance completion date.”

  Defense Logistics Agency, Elbit Systems, helmet-mounted cueing systems, U.S. pays Israeli firm to supply Arab militaries, Vision Systems International