US Approves Nearly $2 Billion Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia

The US State Department approved a potential $1.96 billion sale of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS-II) to Saudi Arabia, including up to 20,000 precision-guidance kits, launchers, warheads, rocket motors, training and logistical support, with BAE Systems in Nashua, New Hampshire as principal contractor. The State Department said the package would bolster Saudi air defenses and interoperability with US and NATO forces as Houthi missile and drone attacks against the Kingdom escalated following the end of the informal 2022 truce and amid the wider Iran war.