Israel is scrambling to find the $2.5 billion it will pay for 50 new F-16C50s, and has decided to use a combination of private loans and interest earned on US aid which is deposited early.--Stephen V Cole

Congress has blocked the Army from issuing a long-term contract to buy the Javelin anti-tank missile. While the Army insists that the long-term contract is the best way to save money and buy more missiles, what the Army won't say in public is that getting as many weapons as possible under long-term contracts will keep Congress from micro-managing the defense budget or canceling a weapon that should be built whenever a negative test result comes in. Congress, on the other hand, insists that the military is attempting to use long-term contracts to cement its obsolete theories and tactics into place, and prevents Congress from responding to current fiscal priorities by canceling weapon systems.--Stephen V Cole