Shaky path ahead for Saudi Arabian arms deal.

AuthorMachi, Vivienne
PositionGlobal Defense

An effort by President Donald Trump's administration to sell hundreds of billions of dollars in military weapons and training equipment to Saudi Arabia could meet resistance in Congress due to geopolitical tensions, according to one analyst.

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But should the arms deals go through, several U.S. defense contractors could see a windfall, said Owen Daniels, assistant director of Middle East peace and security at the Atlantic Council's Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security in Washington, D.C.

On his first presidential trip abroad to the Middle East and Europe, Trump announced his intent to finalize a series of proposed arms deals that would be worth $350 billion over 10 years, and $110 billion up front.

The deals, previously begun under the Obama administration, include the sale of Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, Lockheed Martin's terminal high-altitude area defense ballistic missile defense system and Boeing's joint direct attack munitions (JDAM) guidance kits. Upgraded littoral combat ships and communications and cybersecurity technologies are also included in the deals.

Additionally, the United States is seeking to sell new and used Bradley fighting vehicles, made by BAE Systems, and General Dynamics' Abrams tanks to the Saudis, Daniels said.

Over $23 billion worth of systems were previously approved by the Obama administration, mostly Chinook helicopters and associated training packages, he said. But the approval of parts of the remaining package--which is worth over $86 billion--remains uncertain.

The THAAD portion of the deal could see resistance due to the United States' commitment to maintain Israel's qualitative military edge in the region. Traditionally, Saudi Arabia has come under closer scrutiny than some of its neighboring Gulf states because of its size and proximity to Israel, as well as its religious rhetoric, Daniels said.

The Senate recently voted to approve a...

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