US approves sale of more than $2 billion in weapons to UAE and Saudi Arabia

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) of the US Department of Defense said Congress has approved the sale to Saudi Arabia of Hellfire and Sidewinder missiles, ammunition for artillery, tanks and machine guns, worth more than $1 billion. In August, US President Joe Biden lifted restrictions on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, urging Riyadh to increase pressure against Houthi forces in Yemen, Bloomberg reported on October 11.

Soldiers install an AGM-114 Hellfire missile on an AH-64 Apache helicopter in Afghanistan in 2017.

“This move will improve Saudi Arabia’s ability to respond to current and future threats, as well as improve interoperability with systems operated by the US military and other Gulf states,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

Earlier this week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin assured his Saudi counterpart Khalid bin Salman of America's commitment to Riyadh's defense efforts.

The Pentagon also announced the approval of a weapons package for the UAE worth about $1.2 billion, including M31A1 guided multiple rocket launcher systems (GMRLS) and ATACMS missiles.

The US arms manufacturers listed above can now negotiate contracts with the UAE and Saudi Arabia. In theory, the US Congress can block the sale if it disagrees with some details of the contract.

In a statement on October 11, the Pentagon affirmed that the proposed arms sale would not change the basic military balance in the region, nor would it have any negative impact on America's defense readiness.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-duyet-ban-hon-2-ti-usd-vu-khi-cho-uae-a-rap-xe-ut-185241012115637346.htm