By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Saudi Arabia on Saturday announced that it would receive over 10,000 precision-guidance kits and 10,000 general-purpose bombs under a possible $5 billion US arms package sale cleared by the State Department, as per media reports.
Boeing would serve as principal contractor for the proposed package, which Washington said would improve Riyadh’s homeland defence and interoperability with US and Gulf forces.
The proposed Foreign Military Sale came as security concerns remain elevated across West Asia.
Washington stated that the package would help Riyadh counter current and future regional threats and strengthen its homeland defence.
Saudi request includes 5,004 KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits and another 5,000 KMU-556 kits, media reported
It also covers 5,004 BLU-111 500-pound general-purpose bombs and 5,000 BLU-117 2,000-pound general-purpose bombs.
The package includes FMU-139 fuze systems and DSU-38 and DSU-40 target detectors beyond the bombs and guidance kits.
The containers, support equipment, spare parts, consumables, and accessories are also part of the proposed deal.
The package also covers US government and contractor support, including engineering, technical assistance, and logistics services.
The State Department linked the potential sale to US foreign policy and national security objectives.
It described Saudi Arabia as a force for “political stability and economic progress” in the Gulf.
“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 said.
Washington assessed that Saudi Arabia would be able to absorb the equipment and services into its armed forces.
The State Department also said the proposed transaction would not alter the military balance in the region.
US government is not aware of any proposed offset agreement linked to the transaction.
The package would also not require additional US government or contractor representatives to be assigned to Saudi Arabia, according to the notification.
US officials said the proposed sale would have no adverse effect on American defence readiness.
The weapons clearance came after Washington and Riyadh signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement on July 22.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the agreement, commonly known as a 123 Agreement, along with a bilateral safeguards agreement.
US Department of Energy described the arrangement as laying the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership.
The nuclear agreement is intended to expand access for American companies to Saudi Arabia’s civil nuclear energy programme while advancing nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation objectives. It is to be transmitted to the US Congress for review.
“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 weapons package adds a major defence component to that expanding US-Saudi relationship at a time of heightened security concerns in the Gulf and wider West Asia.
