Contractor employees at Iowa Army Ammunition Plant prepare 155 mm artillery rounds to be filled as a part of the load, assemble and pack operation. (Photo by JMC) In early October, when Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, two US Navy destroyers were strategically in place in the Mediterranean Sea. The USS Bulkeley and USS Cole fired off a dozen interceptors to aid in Israel’s defense. Those interceptors, which proved their life-saving abilities, cost up to $30 million a copy.