America announced huge arms deals to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, valued at more than $2 billion.
The Pentagon said, “The State Department agreed to sell weapons and ammunition to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE with a total value exceeding $2.2 billion.”
According to a statement by the Pentagon’s Defense and Security Cooperation Agency, with regard to the UAE, “an arms deal worth $1.2 billion was approved, including the purchase of 259 Guided Multiple Launch Missile Systems (GMLRS), 1,554 M31A1 missile units, and 203 tactical missile systems.” (ATACMS), and the deal also includes training programs, software development, and engineering and logistical support services.”
Regarding the deals allocated to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon explained, “They include the sale of 220 tactical missiles (AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder) for a value of $252 million, and include technical support and training programs, and also include approval for the sale of ammunition for artillery and tanks, including… This is 10,000 M456 105 mm anti-tank shells worth $139 million. The deal also includes the sale of 2,503 Hellfire II missiles (AGM-114R3), in addition to technical and logistical support programs worth $655 million.
The statements confirmed, “These deals enhance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States, by supporting the security of its regional partners in the face of future and current threats,” stressing that these deals “will not affect the basic military balance in the region.”
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