WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US State Department has approved a $1.9 billion proposed sale of 10 advanced multi-mission helicopters, equipment and weaponry to Saudi Arabia, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.
“The MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopter will provide the capability to identify, engage, and defeat maritime security threats along with the ability to perform secondary missions including vertical replenishment, search and rescue, and communications relay,” the DSCA said on Wednesday.
Produced by US defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky, the MH-60R is the US Navy’s premier anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter.
The deal comes a week after the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Saudi Arabia,met with senior US officials at Camp David where the United States pledged to increase security cooperation and weapons sales to Arab Gulf countries.
Saudi Arabia has been on a massive defense spending binge, moving into fourth place in world defense expenditures in 2014, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). In 2014 alone, the US ally increased defense spending by 17 percent as the Middle East faces instability and Riyadh remains concerned over its regional rival Iran.
Since 2005, Saudi Arabia has increased defense spending by 112 percent, according to SIPRI data.
