Sen. Cotton Legislation Seeks to Expedite Efforts to Strengthen Israel’s Security

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced new legislation on Thursday to expedite Israel’s ability to operate its own KC-46 refueling aircraft in support of potential combat operations, including against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The legislation represents a laudable effort to ensure the Pentagon is taking proactive steps to reduce or eliminate any delays between Israel’s receipt of their own KC-46s and the aircraft’s availability for real-world operations.

If Iran continues to inch toward a nuclear weapons capability, Israel may need to conduct a large air campaign to destroy the nuclear program. Given the distance between Israel and Iran, and the likely need to conduct repeated attacks on targets, Israel needs the ability to refuel its aircraft in flight.

Israel already possesses air refueling aircraft, but they are decades-old 707 refuelers, which are increasingly expensive and difficult to maintain, and lack some of the capabilities of the KC-46. That is why Israel has decided to procure four KC-46 aircraft.

But the first two KC-46 deliveries for Israel are not expected until late 2025. Boeing will then have to integrate Israel’s systems on the aircraft, which could take about a year. Only then will the aircraft arrive in Israel. At that point, Israel will need the ability to fly, operate, and maintain the aircraft before they could be employed in combat, potentially adding additional delays.

That’s why Sen. Cotton’s legislation is so important. Between now and 2026, by proactively training Israeli pilots, crew chiefs, and maintenance personnel, embedding them in operational U.S. Air Force KC-46 units to operate alongside Americans, and rotating U.S. KC-46s to Israel for weeks- or months-long rotational deployments, Washington can help Israel expedite the day its KC-46s are ready for operations.

“America needs to provide our Israeli allies with the military capabilities they need to protect themselves from an increasingly dangerous Iran,” Sen. Cotton said Thursday. These steps “will send a message to Tehran and will ensure that Israel is able to use these planes the day they receive them.”

That message will support — not undermine — American diplomacy and ensure the United States and Israel are ready if diplomacy with Tehran continues to not yield results.

Sen. Cotton’s legislation focuses on three areas.

First, it directs the secretary of the Air Force to make available sufficient resources and accommodations to train Israeli pilots and crew members, as well as maintenance and sustainment personnel, on the KC-46. This training takes time and should start soon to avoid future delays.

The legislation then directs the secretary of defense to authorize the participation of Israeli personnel in the Military Personnel Exchange Program (MPEP) after they complete training on the KC-46s. Participation in the MPEP will create valuable opportunities for Israelis to serve in operational American KC-46 units, enabling Israeli Air Force personnel to hone the skills they learned in training, while building valuable relationships with their American counterparts.

Finally, the legislation directs the secretary of defense to rotationally deploy at least one American KC-46 aircraft to Israel until an Israeli KC-46 achieves full combat capability. This not only would help the Israelis, but also would support the Pentagon’s “dynamic force employment” concept and the Air Force’s “agile combat employment” concept.

Those who want to ensure that Israel has the means to prevent the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism from acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapon should also explore options to send American KC-46s to future exercises so that Israeli pilots can practice refueling their aircraft with the KC-46. This will help Israel identify and resolve any issues sooner.

The Department of Defense sent American KC-46s to last month’s Juniper Oak 23 exercise with Israel, which the Pentagon called the “largest” and “most significant” bilateral exercise between the two countries in history. Unfortunately, however, the American KC-46s refueled only U.S. aircraft during the exercise and did not refuel Israeli aircraft. That was a missed opportunity.

In a recent FDD Foreign Podicy podcast, Lt. Gen. Gregory Guillot, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, discussed the role of the American KC-46s in the Juniper Oak exercise. When asked if U.S. KC-46s could refuel Israeli aircraft in a future exercise, he responded, “Yeah, I hope to.”

With Iran inching toward a nuclear weapons capability, the Pentagon must leave no stone unturned to ensure U.S. and Israeli forces are prepared. Sen. Cotton’s legislation represents an important step in that direction.

Bradley Bowman is senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where Ryan Brobst is a research analyst. For more analysis from Brad and CMPP, please subscribe HERE. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_L_Bowman. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD and @FDD_CMPP. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.