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The U.S. State Department has approved three potential foreign military sales to Egypt, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates worth a combined estimated $2.27 billion, according to a department statement, as Gulf and Middle Eastern allies continue to bolster air defense and precision-strike capabilities.
The largest of the three packages is a possible sale to the UAE of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System-II guidance sections and related equipment, valued at an estimated $1.041 billion.
The UAE has requested up to 10,000 of the guidance sections, the department said, in a mix of air-to-air and air-to-ground configurations.
The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, commonly known as APKWS, converts unguided rockets into precision-guided munitions and is used across US and allied air forces.
For Egypt, the department approved a possible sale of Javelin missile systems at an estimated cost of $832 million.
Cairo has requested up to 2,020 Javelin FGM-148F missiles, including 20 "fly-to-buy" missiles, along with up to 200 Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units, according to the notification.
The Javelin is a portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon jointly produced by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
The department also approved a possible sale to Kuwait of Patriot missile repair and return services and related equipment, estimated at $400 million. The Patriot is a long-range air defense system that Gulf states have relied on for protection against ballistic missile and drone threats.
The announcement comes more than seven months after the start of the Iran war, which began on Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran.
Iran retaliated with attacks on US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
In June, the US and Iran signed a framework agreement outlining immediate steps to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and to address Iran's nuclear program, but the framework expired in August without a final deal.
Under the US Foreign Military Sales program, State Department approval and congressional notification are required before such deals can proceed; the sales announced do not guarantee that final contracts will be signed, as terms can still be negotiated between the US government, the purchasing country and US defense contractors.
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