The United States has approved a deal to sell $3.5 billion worth of air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia. This decision comes ahead of a visit by President Donald Trump to the region later this month. The sale includes 1,000 advanced missiles for Saudi Arabia’s fighter jets and will provide technical support. The missiles will be made by RTX Corp, based in Tucson, Arizona.
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Saudi Arabia already has the second-largest fleet of F-15 fighter jets in the world, just behind the United States. The U.S. government says this deal will help strengthen the relationship with Saudi Arabia and support the security and stability of the Gulf region.
The sale still needs to be approved by the U.S. Congress, who will review it before it goes through. In the past, some sales to Saudi Arabia have faced criticism from U.S. lawmakers, especially because of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war in Yemen and the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
However, the Trump administration has maintained strong ties with Saudi Arabia, and this missile sale is one of many deals that are expected to be announced during his visit. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also expressed plans to invest $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years, likely in support of Trump’s visit.
