The United States has approved a potential $5 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, saying the proposed deal would strengthen Riyadh’s ability to respond to current and future regional security threats.
The US State Department said the proposed Foreign Military Sale includes more than 10,000 precision-guidance kits, thousands of general-purpose bombs and related equipment.
The package includes Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) systems, fuzes, target detectors, spare parts, support equipment and technical assistance.
According to the US notification, Saudi Arabia has requested 5,004 KMU-572 and 5,000 KMU-556 guidance kits, as well as 5,004 500-pound BLU-111 bombs and 5,000 2,000-pound BLU-117 bombs.
The State Department said the proposed sale would enhance Saudi Arabia’s airborne defence capabilities, improve homeland security and strengthen interoperability with US forces and other Gulf partners.
Washington also said the deal supports US foreign policy and national security objectives by strengthening the security of a key regional ally.
Boeing would serve as the principal contractor for the proposed transaction. US officials said the sale would not adversely affect American defence readiness and would not require additional US government or contractor personnel to be deployed in Saudi Arabia.
The proposed agreement comes amid heightened tensions across the Gulf and the wider Middle East, including the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran and growing concerns over regional security.
The United States has also approved a separate potential $750 million sale of 60 AGT-1500 tank engines to Saudi Arabia, bringing the combined value of the two proposed defence deals to approximately $5.75 billion.
The latest arms package highlights the continuing defence partnership between Washington and Riyadh as both countries face an increasingly complex regional security environment.