Trump will offer Saudi weapons worth $ 100 billion during his visit to Riyadh and F -35 aircraft that may be part of that.
Reuters
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The United States is preparing to submit an arms deal to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is worth $ 100 billion, according to six sources familiar with the case to Reuters, noting that the proposal is to announce it during the visit of US President Donald Trump to the Kingdom in May.
This proposed deal comes after the administration of former US President Joe Biden failed to conclude a defensive agreement with Riyadh, as part of a broader deal aimed at normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Biden's offer included giving Saudi Arabia the possibility of obtaining more advanced American weapons, in exchange for stopping weapons purchases from China and restricting Beijing's investments in the Kingdom.
Reuters could not make sure whether the Trump administration plan includes similar conditions. The White House, the US Department of Defense, and the Saudi Government Communications Office did not respond to requests to comment until the moment the news was published.
During his first term, Trump was celebrating weapons to Saudi Arabia as beneficial to jobs in the United States.
Two of the sources said that Lockheed Martin may provide Saudi Arabia with a group of advanced armament systems, including C-130 transportation, and one of the sources added that the deal may also include missiles and radars produced by the company.
It is also expected that RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, is also expected to play a major role in the deal, which will also include products from other major American defense companies such as Boeing, Nortorb Groman, and GMR Atomix, according to four sources.
All sources refused to reveal their names due to the sensitivity of the topic.
Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, and General Atomics also declined to comment, while Boeing did not respond to Reuters request for comment. Reuters was unable to determine the number of new deals offered, as two sources indicated that many of them have been in preparation for years.
The Kingdom had requested information about GM's Drones in 2018, according to them, and during the past 12 months, a $ 20 billion deal for MQ-9B Seaguardian and other aircraft, according to one of the sources, has emerged.
Three of the sources said that a number of executives in defense companies are considering traveling to the area as part of the accompanying delegation.
The United States has long been a major provider of weapons to Saudi Arabia, and Trump proposed sales of about $ 110 billion to the Kingdom in 2017, but until 2018, only 14.5 billion dollars in sales started, and Congress began to question these deals in the wake of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Congress under Biden's administration imposed a ban on offensive weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, against the background of Khashoggi's death, and to pressure the kingdom to end its war in Yemen, which caused great losses among civilians. According to American law, major international arms deals must be subject to the review of Congress before completing them.
But the Biden administration began to reduce its position towards Saudi Arabia in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine affected the global oil supplies, and the ban on offensive weapons sales was lifted in 2024, in conjunction with Washington's coordination with Riyadh after the Hamas attack on October 7, to develop a post-war plan in Gaza.
It is also expected that during the visit the possibility of a deal for the F-35 aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin, which the Kingdom has shown interest in years ago, according to what three of the sources reported, while reducing the possibility of a deal in this regard during the trip.
The United States always guarantees that its close ally Israel, will receive more advanced American weapons than those sold to Arab countries, in the context of what is known as the principle of "qualitative military superiority" for Israel on its neighbors.
Israel has owned F-35 aircraft nine years ago, and several combat squadrons were formed.
*** The same amount as is the previous deal with Trump, from which less than 30% was signed..
According to the sources, the $ 100 billion deal that Trump may offer to Saudi Arabia includes a variety of the most advanced armed systems, the most prominent of which are:
1.
Aircraft
- C-130 Hercules: Heavy military transport planes, useful for logistical support, humanitarian tasks and special operations.
- MQ-9B Seaguardian: Sophisticated drone for monitoring, reconnaissance and accurate attacks.
- (In the future, the F-35 stealth fighters may be negotiated, but it is still uncertain.)
2.
Missiles and air defense
Possible air and missile defense systems from Raytheon, such as:
- Patriot Pac-3: To intercept short-range ballistic missiles and aircraft.
- NASAMS or similar systems for medium -range air defense.
- Precision attack missiles (air-ground and ground-ground) possible from Boeing and Raytheon.
3.
Radars and Command systems
Sophisticated radars for aircraft and missile monitoring, can include:
- AN/TPY-2 radars associated with the Thaad system.
- Naval radars to monitor strategic corridors.
4.
Naval equipment and border security
- Patrol boats, coast monitoring systems, anti-UAV technology.
- Advanced communications and cyber control systems.