Local EditorAccording to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the State Department has agreed to a new $1.75 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, including 202 Patriot missiles, along with launchers and other equipment.
The agency was not clear on if the sale was related to Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war on ISIS, but did assure that it would not impact Israel’s regional military superiority, the standard by which all US sales must comply.
The agency informed Congress of the planned sale yesterday, which would involve Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, along with some other, smaller contractor companies.
Saudi Arabia has dramatically increased its military spending in recent years, though much of the money is spent on prestige items which appear to be of no practical utility to any conceivable Saudi war, and are used primarily for parades, Anti War reported.
Recently the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have supplied Syrian Terrorist groups with a noticeable number of advanced American antitank missiles for the first time in a pilot program that could lead to larger flows of sophisticated weaponry.
The Financial Times reported in May 2013 that Saudi Arabia was becoming a larger provider of arms to the Syrian armed group.
Since the summer of 2013, Saudi Arabia has emerged as the main group to finance and arm the rebels. This country has financed a large purchase of infantry weapons, such as Yugoslav-made recoilless guns and the M79 Osa, an anti-tank weapon, from Croatia via shipments shuttled through Jordan. The weapons began reaching Syrian armed group in December 2012.
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