In 2010 the US military plans to expand its stockpiles of weapons in Israel under a recent bilateral agreement, according to a report in Monday’s issue of the U.S. weekly Defense News.

The US military aid package for Israel already amounts to some 2.5 billion dollars annually. The US weaponry and ammunition to which Israel will have free access in case of need will now attain an additional value of 800 million dollars.

The US have four arsenals in Israel, to which must be added their air stations and navy bases.

Technically, the US bases and stockpiles on Israeli soil come under the purview of the European Command (EuCom) rather than the Central Command (CentCom), since Israel is considered to be a European colony in the Middle East and not a State forming part of that region. The European Command is directed by Admiral James Stavidris, who is also NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).