US $250 Mlln Military Training Program Sale to Saudi Arabia

In a significant development, the US State Department has greenlit a potential sale of military training programs, valued at about $250 million, to the Saudi Arabian Navy.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, a division of the Pentagon, finalized the necessary certification to notify Congress about this promising sale on Tuesday, according to an official statement.

Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in procuring additional training programs for its Royal Navy, which will complement a previous agreement that did not require congressional approval due to its lower value.

The earlier deal, worth $37 million, covered a wide range of training for the Saudi Navy, including precision targeting, collateral damage mitigation, basic technical and professional development, ship repair facility maintenance, language proficiency courses, and professional military education provided by the US Navy.

This proposed sale aims to strengthen US foreign policy and national security objectives by enhancing the security of a partner country contributing to political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region, according to the statement issued by the agency.

The envisioned sale is expected to enhance Saudi Arabia's ability to counter current and future threats by strengthening its self-defense capabilities against regional malign actors, supporting US Navy efforts to uphold freedom of navigation, and enhancing interoperability with systems operated by US forces and other Gulf states, as articulated in the US State Department's announcement.

The State Department further clarified that Saudi Arabia will face no difficulty integrating these services into its armed forces, and the proposed sale will not disrupt the fundamental military equilibrium in the region.

Per the US State Department, the selection of "prime contractor(s) will follow a competitive bidding process and contract award.

There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale, the statement highlighted, emphasizing that the implementation of this proposed sale will not necessitate the deployment of any additional US government or contractor representatives to Saudi Arabia.