Pentagon approves $4.7bn surface-to-air missile package to Egypt

The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that the State Department has approved a potential sale of advanced air defense systems to Egypt for approximately $4.67 billion. The sale includes NASAMS advanced surface-to-air missile systems, a wide range of missiles, radars, and technical support and training equipment. 

According to a statement from the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the deal includes a comprehensive package of weapons and equipment, most notably the NASAMS air defense system, a medium- to long-range mobile system used to protect airspace from aircraft, cruise missiles, and drones.

The deal also includes four AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel radars, which are advanced 3D radars for detecting air threats with high accuracy, as well as 100 AMRAAM-ER missiles and 100 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM missiles, two of the latest radar-guided air-to-air missiles effective against long-range targets.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals 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 Middle East,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency statement said, referring to Egypt.