Congress: 105 · Status: active · Israel/Palestine classification: pro-Israel
Data (JSON) — machine-readable record of this bill (identifiers, sponsor, classification, actions, and the member-by-member vote breakdown).
Official record on Congress.gov — full text, actions, and cosponsor history for S 1387.
Sponsor: Kyl, Jon (R-AZ)
Iran Missile Protection Act of 1997 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into discussions with the Government of Russia to obtain information on: (1) the extent of Russian cooperation and assistance in the development by Iran of a ballistic missile capability; and (2) the technical nature of the Iranian ballistic missile capabilities. Prohibits the obligation of $3 million in FY 1998 cooperative ballistic missile defense projects with Russia until the President certifies to the Congress that the Russian Government is providing full cooperation with respect to the release of such information. Authorizes appropriations for the Navy theater-wide missile defense system to be used to accelerate the development of such system through additional testing and risk reduction. Authorizes additional appropriations for FY 1998 for defense-wide research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) of specified missile defense sytems, radars, networks, and related activities. Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress on U.S. infrastructure changes in the Persian Gulf, Middle East, and surrounding areas that could improve the ability of U.S. armed forces to support attack operations in such areas. Authorizes appropriations for defense-wide RDT&E for support of the Israeli Arrow tactical ballistic missile defense system to be used to protect a U.S. ally in imminent peril. Directs the Secretary of Defense to report to the Congress on the Iranian ballistic missile threat in the Middle East and Persian Gulf regions.
Authorizes $110 million for the Israeli Arrow missile defense system to counter Iranian ballistic missiles, while also funding broader US Navy and Pentagon missile defense research. Conditions $3 million in US-Russia cooperative missile defense work on presidential certification that Russia is cooperating on sharing information about its assistance to Iran's missile program.
This bill ties US military aid directly to Israeli defense against Iranian threats and establishes a statutory commitment to the Arrow system specifically. It reflects Cold War-era framing of Israel as a strategic bulwark against regional adversaries, embedding that posture in defense appropriations.