The US State Department has approved arms sales to six countries totaling over $1.5 billion.
The most high-value item of the six sales would be Croatia’s modernization of seventy-six M2A2 Operation Desert Storm Bradley fighting vehicles for an estimated $757 million.
The Balkan country has requested 84 M240 machine guns, close to 2,000 TOW missiles, M257 smoke grenade launchers, radios, simulators, special armor, and Hunter/Killer technology. Principal contractors for the refurbishment, should the deal be finalized, would be BAE Systems and Raytheon.
Second in line would be Saudi Arabia with a proposed $350 million extension of the US Military Training Mission to Saudi Arabia (USMTM) for an additional five years. The aim of USMTM is to train, advise, and assist the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces to build defense capacity and capability through military exercises and professional military education. USMTM conducts non-combat, institutional advising that assists the MOD in developing, training, and sustaining a capable deterrent to regional threats.
Canada is seeking C-17 transport aircraft sustainment and related equipment for an estimated cost of $275 million.
Brazil has requested to buy MK 54 torpedoes and associated equipment for its Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk helicopters and surface ships. The principal contractor on the $70 million deal would be Raytheon.
The US has also cleared the sale of 300 M1152 High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) and related equipment to Lebanon for an estimated cost of $55.5 million. According to the State Department, Lebanon would have no difficulty absorbing this additional equipment and services into its armed forces as they currently operate over 1,000 HMMWVs of various variants.
Republic of Korea of two (2) MK 15 MOD 25 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) Block 1B Baseline 2 (IB2) systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of $39 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
Finally, the Republic of Korea has requested to buy two MK 15 MOD 25 Phalanx Close-In Weapons Systems (CIWS) for installation on its first KDX III Batch II Aegis destroyer that is to be delivered by Hyundai Heavy Industries by 2024.
South Korea has also requested 4,000 rounds, 20MM cartridge API and related equipment under a deal that would have an estimated value of $39 million.
