WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Defense (Department of Defense) announced that the U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of Patriot interceptor missiles and related military equipment to Saudi Arabia for an estimated value of approximately $9 billion.
The Pentagon announced in a statement that Lockheed Martin will be the prime contractor for the sale of the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 Missile Segment Enhanced Missile (PAC-3 MSE). The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency formally notified the U.S. Congress of this decision.
The approval was made in response to Saudi Arabia’s request to purchase 730 PAC-3 MSE missiles, the statement said. The statement stressed that the proposed sale would not change the military balance in the Middle East and would not have a negative impact on U.S. defense preparedness.
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The contract includes kits to retrofit existing Patriot launchers to launch the advanced PAC-3 MSE missile, as well as an automated logistics system that includes equipment and software to manage maintenance, spare parts, and system readiness tracking.
The contract also includes missile telemetry equipment used to record flight data during tests and training, as well as equipment and spare parts for maintenance and repairs, training programs, and technical support.
