The United States approves massive military deals for 3 Arab countries
The U.S. State Department announced on Saturday that it has approved major military sales to four of its allies in the Middle East, with a total value exceeding $8.6 billion.
These deals, which include three Arab countries (UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar) plus Israel, aim to enhance the security of key defense partners and support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives in the face of current and future threats.
UAE: Strengthening Defense Capabilities and Interoperability
Washington has approved a $147.6 million deal for the UAE, centered on the purchase of the Advanced Precision Killing Weapons (APKWS) system and associated equipment.
The deal includes 1,500 APKWS-II guidance units, along with rocket launchers and high-explosive warheads.
The US State Department stressed that the UAE represents an important factor in political stability and economic progress in the region, and that these systems will improve the ability of Emirati forces to work together with US forces.
Kuwait: Building an Integrated Air and Missile Defense System
Kuwait acquired a massive $2.5 billion deal aimed at developing the Integrated Combat Command System (IBCS).
The deal includes six mobile engagement centers, modulation kits for launch units, and advanced encryption devices.
This system seeks to provide a multi-layered defense capability to protect Kuwaiti territory and allied ground forces, and to integrate radar and sensing systems as a unified command and control system.
The main contractors (Northrop Grumman, RTX, Lockheed Martin) will execute the deal.
Qatar: Emergency sales to boost Patriot
The approvals also included two deals for Qatar totaling close to $5 billion, with the secretary of state acknowledging the existence of an "emergency" that calls for the immediate sale of the U.S. national security service.
The first deal ($4.01 billion): is dedicated to resupplying the Patriot system with 200 PAC-2 missiles and 300 advanced PAC-3 missiles .
The second deal ($992.4 million): for the purchase of 10,000 units of APKWS-II advanced munitions to enhance accuracy in combat operations.
Israel: Strengthening Defences and Deterrence
In the same context, a deal was approved for Israel worth $992.4 million, including the purchase of 10,000 units of the Advanced Precision Killing Weapons (APKWS) system.
The US State Department pointed out that this equipment is intended to enhance Israel's ability to confront regional threats, strengthen its internal defenses and provide an effective deterrence capability, stressing that Israeli forces will not face difficulty in integrating these systems into their military arsenal.