• Licenses/Agreements
• Deliveries
• Congressional Notifications

Requested Equipment: 53 Harpoon Block II Missiles

Background: Since the 1978 Camp David accords, Egypt has received an annual $1.2 billion in military aid from the United States in recognition of the role it has played in preserving peace with Israel. But the rhetoric coming from the Cairo and government-controlled media is often severely critical of Israel and U.S. support for Israel. In mid-November 2001, President Hosni Mubarak said that continued U.S. arms sales to Israel could spark a regional arms race and might prompt some Arab countries to develop weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, the administration gave informal notification to Congress of plans to sell Egypt 53 Harpoon Block II missiles. Israel and its supporters in Congress are concerned that these very precise, satellite-guided weapons - launched from fast patrol boats - would reduce Israel's qualitative military advantage vis-a-vis its bigger neighbor. Senator Biden, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to Secretary of State Powell expressing his concern about the sale. Senator Helms and Representative Lantos, ranking minority members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House International Relations Committee, respectively, also voiced reservations.

Decision:  The State Department brushed off congressional concerns and formal notification of the sale (part of a $255 million dollar package) was announced to Congress by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on February 14, 2002.

Additional background information on U.S. arms sales to Egypt