The United States approved a possible USD 1.96 billion Saudi weapons sale to strengthen the kingdom’s air defences as regional fighting intensified, the State Department said Wednesday.
The proposed package includes up to 20,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems and associated warheads, according to the department’s announcement.
The United States Navy describes the laser-guided system as a lower-cost weapon designed to strike targets precisely while reducing collateral damage during close combat.
BAE Systems will serve as the principal contractor for the proposed transaction, the State Department said.
Washington said the package would improve Saudi Arabia’s ability to deter current and future threats, strengthen homeland defence and increase interoperability with US, regional and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces.
The department described Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally and said the sale supported US foreign policy and national security objectives in the Gulf region.
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The approval followed a Houthi missile attack on an airport in Abha, southern Saudi Arabia, on Monday. The strike raised concerns about renewed hostilities between Riyadh and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
Regional tensions have also increased as the United States conducts new strikes against Iran following the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iranian ports. The State Department said the proposed sale would not adversely affect US defence readiness.
