The US State Department announced Wednesday it had approved a potential $1.96 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, as hostilities intensify across the Middle East.
The US Navy describes the APKWS as an inexpensive way to destroy targets while limiting collateral damage in close combat © Navair
The US State Department announced Wednesday it had approved a potential $1.96 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, as hostilities intensify across the Middle East.
"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region," the State Department said in a statement.
The package includes up to 10,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS-II) air-to-air guidance sections and up to 10,000 APKWS-II air-to-ground guidance sections, along with launchers, warheads, rocket motors, fuses, spare parts, training equipment and logistics support.
The US Navy describes the APKWS as an inexpensive way to destroy targets while limiting collateral damage in close combat. BAE Systems, based in Nashua, New Hampshire, will serve as the principal contractor.
The State Department said the sale would strengthen Saudi Arabia's ability to deter current and future threats by reinforcing its homeland defense and improving interoperability with US, regional and NATO forces.
The approval comes as Houthi rebels launched missiles toward Saudi Arabia on Monday, after accusing Riyadh of striking Sanaa airport, reigniting the Yemen conflict after years of relative calm.
It also follows a sharp escalation between Washington and Tehran, with the US intensifying strikes against Iran after reimposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
A separate $484 million sustainment package for Kuwait's C-17 fleet was also approved the same day.
The Michelin Guide has unveiled its 2026 hotel selection for Saudi Arabia, spotlighting 54 properties across Riyadh, Jeddah, AlUla and the Red Sea coast, further cementing the kingdom's rapid rise as a global luxury travel destination.
The United States has warned it fears a "rapid escalation" of hostilities in the Middle East, following Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia that struck the kingdom's capital for the first time in months.
The Saudi-led military coalition announced Sunday that it had intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels toward Riyadh, where explosions were heard at dawn, the first such incident since hostilities resumed between the kingdom and the Iran-backed fighters.
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