Under Secretary of Defense of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Dr. William LaPlante traveled to Israel this week, February 25-28, 2023, to meet with senior security officials and reaffirm the U.S. commitment to security cooperation between the United States and Israel and discuss a range of issues of mutual importance. This was Dr. LaPlante's first trip to Israel as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.
While in Israel, Dr. LaPlante signed the U.S.-Israel Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) and celebrated the establishment of the U.S.-Israel Defense Industrial Base Working Group. Through the SOSA, the United States and Israel agree to provide reciprocal priorities support for goods and services that promote national defense. The Arrangement will enable both countries to acquire the industrial resources they need from one another to resolve unanticipated supply chain disruptions to meet national security needs.
Under the auspices of the U.S.-Israel Defense Acquisition Advisory Group (DAAG), the newly established Defense Industrial Base Working Group will be co-chaired by the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy and Director of International Defense Cooperation at the Israeli Ministry of Defense. This group will discuss industrial base issues, potential areas for cooperation and joint efforts, and issues or concerns that inhibit opportunities for defense industries.
Additionally, Dr. LaPlante toured Israeli military installations and defense industrial sites to learn more about capabilities and opportunities to continue to strengthen bilateral efforts in context of the security environment.
"This week, I was pleased to visit Israel and meet Eyal Zamir, the new Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, for the U.S.-Israel DAAG," LaPlante said. "We discussed the breadth and depth of the bilateral armaments cooperation and programs, efforts to deepen industrial cooperation, and priority procurement initiatives."
