The U.S. State Department has approved agreements worth over $6.7 billion for the potential sale of armored vehicles and helicopters to Israel, based on information from the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency. It is reported that these involve several separate packages of weapons and military equipment.
The editorial reports, citing sources, that Israel has requested to purchase 30 Apache AH-64E combat helicopters and various related equipment from the U.S. for $3.8 billion. Additionally, Israel has requested the purchase of 3,250 JLTV multi-purpose armored vehicles and associated equipment for $1.98 billion, as well as Namer armored personnel carriers (APC-MT883) worth $740 million and AW119Kx multi-purpose helicopters worth approximately $150 million.
The information notes that all these potential sales have been approved by the U.S. State Department, and relevant notifications have been sent to the U.S. Congress. In accordance with procedure, Congress has the right to object to these deals within a specified period.
Concurrently, the U.S. State Department has also approved the potential sale of 730 missiles for Patriot air defense systems and associated equipment to Saudi Arabia. The total value of these packages is estimated at $9 billion.
The statement from the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency indicates that the proposed sale will enhance Saudi Arabia's capabilities against current and future threats, increasing the country's air defense potential with modern anti-aircraft missiles. The agency emphasized that these capabilities will contribute to the protection of Saudi Arabian, U.S., and regional allied ground forces.