The US State Department has approved several potential weapons sales to Mideast allies including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said on Thursday, according to the Reuters news agency.
The approvals included the possible sale of F-16 fighter jets and related equipment to Jordan at an estimated cost of $4.21 billion, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
The State Department approved Jordan’s request for 12 F-16 C Block 70 fighter jets, radios targeting pods and associated munitions components including guided missile tail kits. The prime contractor for the jets is Lockheed Martin Corp.
Washington has in the past delivered Black Hawk helicopters to Jordan, a move aimed at helping protect the kingdom's borders and counter the threat from Islamist terrorists.
In 2015, Washington said it would increase overall US assistance to Jordan from $660 million to $1 billion annually for between 2015 and 2017.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia was okayed to buy 31 Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVT) for as much as $23.7 million to upgrade its missile defense systems.
The US State Department recently approved the sale of 280 air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia valued at up to $650 million, its first major arms sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under President Joe Biden. That transaction was not mentioned in Thursday’s announcement.
The United Arab Emirates was approved to buy $30 million worth of spare and repair parts for its Homing All the Way Killer (HAWK) missile defense systems, according to Reuters.
The UAE has also in the past agreed to buy 50 F-35 stealth fighter jets from the US, but Thursday’s announcement did not address that sale.
The Trump administration agreed to sell advanced aircraft to the UAE following the signing of the Abraham Accords. The deal was signed on former President Donald Trump’s final day in office.
The Biden administration later decided to halt the sale. Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained at the time that when it comes to arms sales, “It is typical at the start of an administration to review any pending sales, to make sure that what is being considered is something that advances our strategic objectives and advances our foreign policy, so that's what we're doing at this moment.”
In April, the Biden administration told Congress it is proceeding with the deal. A State Department spokesperson said at the time the administration would move forward with the proposed sales to the UAE, "even as we continue reviewing details and consulting with Emirati officials" related to the use of the weapons.
Despite approvals by the State Department, Thursday’s notifications do not indicate that contracts have been signed or that negotiations have concluded.