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| US Sell THAAD Missile System to UAE and Patriot Missile to Saudi Arabia |
Washington - The US State Department has approved the sale of 300 Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia in a $3.05 billion deal. In a statement issued by the Pentagon, the US said that Riyadh requested the PATRIOT MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical Ballistic Missiles (GEM-T) missiles. The sale will include other tools and test equipment.
Quoted from Al Arabiya, the Pentagon said the main contractor was US-based Raytheon. "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security goals of the United States by enhancing the security of partner nations that are a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region.
The Pentagon added that this sale would enhance Saudi Arabia's ability to meet current and future threats by replenishing its dwindling stockpile of PATRIOT GEM-T missiles.
The statement cites persistent cross-border drone and ballistic missile attacks by the Yemeni rebel group, the Houthis, against civilian sites and critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Al Arabiya first reported in June that the US was likely to announce the sale of anti-missile interceptors in the coming weeks.
The Iran-backed Houthis doubled the number of attacks on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia during the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. That's according to a report published by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
In addition, in another agreement, the US State Department also approved the sale of $2.25 billion, or around Rp. 33 trillion, of 96 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile systems to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Pentagon said that the UAE requested to purchase THAAD missiles, two THAAD Launch Control Stations (LCS), and two THAAD Tactical Operations Stations (TOS). Also includes repairs and returns, system integration and checkout, and parts and repairs.
The Pentagon said the sale would support US national security interests and enhance the security of important regional partners. "The proposed sale will enhance the UAE's ability to meet current and future ballistic missile threats in the region, and reduce reliance on US forces," the Pentagon said. The main contractor is Lockheed Martin, with the Pentagon calling the UAE a "vital US partner" for stability. political and economic progress in the region.