Washington approves potential $5bn arms package for Riyadh

© Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman US Air Force weapons factory The sale includes more than 10,000 guidance kits, which convert unguided 'dumb bombs' into extended-range precision weapons The US State Department approved on 4 September a possible $5 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that includes kits for converting standard bombs into extended-range precision-guided weapons. The kingdom has requested more than 10,000 guidance kits along with a matching number of 500-lb (230 kg) and 2,000-lb (900 kg) general-purpose bombs, with the kits converting the unguided "dumb bombs" into steerable precision weapons. The State Department said the transfer advances US foreign policy and national security objectives by reinforcing the security of a Major non-NATO ally it credits with underpinning political stability and economic progress across the Gulf. Washington said the weapons would sharpen Saudi airborne strike capability against present and future regional threats, bolster the kingdom's own defenses, and bring its arsenal into closer alignment with systems fielded by US forces and other Gulf partners. Virginia-based defense giant Boeing Corporation will serve as principal contractor for the sale. The approval comes days after Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan convened the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee in Istanbul on 31 August, with the Saudi delegation led by Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman and Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan. Reuters reported the talks were set to cover defense capabilities, interoperability between the three armed forces, and expanded cooperation on defense industry production and development. The committee was formed under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement , signed on 7 August, which holds that an attack on any signatory constitutes an attack on all. Turkish and Pakistani officials have said the pact is open to other states, with Bangladesh and Egypt reportedly among those interested. US President Donald Trump has welcomed the agreement, which aligns with a broader US push to shift defense costs onto its partners in Europe and West Asia. The Media Line reported that increasing partners' ability to meet defense requirements without sustained US support forms an explicit part of Washington's foreign military sales policy.