US refusal to supply the IAF with helicopter missiles during Operation Protective Edge necessitated that Israel adapt its Apaches to fire Israeli missiles, enabling a degree of independence on when and where they are deployed.
The IAF has completed modifications to its Apaches helicopters that will enable them to use Israeli—in addition to US-manufactured—missiles as part of a project which has been undertaken over the course of recent months.
The modifications were presided over following a problem which arose during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014 when US leaders delayed the delivery of US-made Hellfire missiles to Israel due to concerns that Israel would employ them in areas in Gaza containing population centers.
Prior to the changes, Israel's Apaches' main offensive weapon was the Hellfires, rendering their use entirely at the mercy of American decision-making. Now, however Israel has managed to find a way to circumvent similar obstacles in the future by adding equipment capable of firing Israeli-made missiles manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems—granting it a degree of independence when it comes to their use.
YNet
