The Department of State has approved the potential foreign military sale of training and related equipment to Saudi Arabia.
The proposed sale covers a range of training offered by the Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force, including flight training for the Royal Saudi Air Force and other Saudi military services.
The possible foreign military sale will also provide programs on civilian casualty avoidance, human rights, command and control, and the laws of armed conflicts.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a friendly country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a press release.
The sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s ability to defend itself and address current and future threats. In addition, it bolsters interoperability between military forces and forges a stronger relationship between the Middle Eastern nation and the United States, DCSA added. The U.S. has maintained over 80 years of strategic partnership with the kingdom.
The State Department approval comes on the back of another approved sale to Saudi Arabia in early December, RE-3A Tactical Airborne Surveillance System modernization and related equipment that are estimated to be valued at $582 million.
