Washington DC [US], September 5 (ANI): The United States on Friday (local time) approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia involving Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) systems, bombs and related equipment valued at an estimated USD 5 billion.
According to a congressional notification statement by the US State Department, the proposed sale includes thousands of precision-guidance kits and general-purpose bombs, along with associated fuzes, target detectors, containers, spare parts, support equipment and technical and logistical services.
The State Department further noted that Saudi Arabia has requested 5,004 KMU-572 JDAM guidance kits, 5,000 KMU-556 JDAM guidance kits, 5,004 BLU-111 500-pound general-purpose bombs and 5,000 BLU-117 2,000-pound general-purpose bombs.
The package would also include FMU-139 fuze systems, DSU-38 and DSU-40 target detectors, containers and support equipment, spare parts, consumables and accessories, as well as US government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support.
The State Department said the proposed sale would advance US foreign policy and national security objectives by strengthening the security of Saudi Arabia, which Washington describes as a force for "political stability and economic progress" in the Gulf region.
"The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s airborne defense capability to counter current and future regional threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and improve interoperability with systems operated by U.S. forces and other Gulf Region partners," the statement read.
The department said Saudi Arabia would have no difficulty incorporating the equipment and services into its armed forces and assessed that the proposed transaction would not alter the military balance in the region.
The principal contractor for the potential sale would be Boeing, based in Virginia. The US government said it was not currently aware of any proposed offset agreement in connection with the transaction.
The notification also stated that implementation would not require the assignment of additional US government or contractor representatives to Saudi Arabia and would have no adverse impact on US defence readiness.
The proposed arms sale comes amid heightened tensions in West Asia, including ongoing conflict involving the US and Iran and attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, as well as renewed activity by Yemen's Houthi rebels.
The developments have increased security concerns around the Gulf and the wider region, with Saudi Arabia seeking to strengthen its ability to defend its territory and critical infrastructure against potential air and missile threats.
The latest approval also comes more than a month after Washington and Riyadh signed agreements establishing a framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement, commonly known as a 123 Agreement, alongside an accompanying bilateral safeguards agreement, according to the US Department of Energy.
"Together, these two agreements lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear nonproliferation," the department said in a statement posted on X.
The 123 Agreement is intended to provide US companies greater access to Saudi Arabia's emerging civil nuclear energy programme while supporting American industry, workers and supply chains, according to the Department of Energy.
The agreements also seek to strengthen nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation standards while deepening strategic cooperation between Washington and Riyadh.
"These agreements reflect our two nations' shared commitment to strengthening U.S.-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad," Wright said.
He added that the agreements uphold "the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation" while relying on US nuclear technology and expertise.
The Department of Energy said the nuclear partnership was part of the Trump administration's broader effort to expand US civil nuclear technology exports and strengthen America's position in the global nuclear energy market.
The latest potential military sale and the recent nuclear cooperation agreements underscore the breadth of the US-Saudi strategic relationship, spanning defence, energy security and civil nuclear cooperation, as Washington and Riyadh navigate an increasingly volatile regional security environment. (ANI)
US approves potential sale of munitions, guidance kits to Saudi Arabia worth $5 billion
