The Pentagon plans to sell $10.8 billion worth of advanced weaponry to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The hardware includes bunker buster bombs and cruise missiles.
The planned deal includes shipping 1,000 GBU-39/B bombs to Saudi Arabia
and 5,000 to the UAE, AFP reports. They have air-deployed wings, which
allow them to strike targets as far away as 110km. Their warheads can
penetrate up to a meter of reinforced concrete.
The planned sale also includes sophisticated Standoff Land Attack
Extended Range (SLAM-ER) and Joint Standoff Weapons (JSOW) cruise
missiles. Both are meant for destroying surface targets from a long
distance, allowing warplanes to stay out of the range of enemy air
defenses.
The Saudis will purchase 650 of the Boeing-manufactured SLAM-ERs and
973 Raytheon-made JSOWs, as well as other missiles. They are to pay $6.8
billion for the hardware, parts, training and logistical support.
The United Arab Emirates is due to buy $4 billion worth of weaponry,
including the bunker buster bombs, 300 SLAM-ERs and 1,200 JSOW missiles.
The planned deal will be the first time the U.S. delivers the sophisticated gliding bombs and missiles to the region.
Back in April, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced plans to sell
$10 billion worth of arms to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This
week’s announcement details the munitions that the Persian Gulf
monarchies are seeking.
DoD officials informed the Congress of the planned deal last week.
Legislators have 30 days to block the sale, but this is unlikely to
happen considering the U.S.’ previous weapon deals with its Persian Gulf
allies.
In 2011, the U.S. signed a $29.4 billion deal with Saudi Arabia to sell
84 Boeing-made F-15 jets and upgrade 70 planes already owned by the
kingdom. The Obama administration has also sold the UAE an anti-missile
system called the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense.
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