The offered package comes after the administration of former
president Joe Biden unsuccessfully tried to finalize a
defence pact with Riyadh, as part of a broad deal that envisioned
Saudi Arabia normalizing ties with Israel.
The Biden proposal offered access to more advanced US
weaponry, in return for halting Chinese arms purchases and restricting
Beijing's investment in the country. Reuters could not establish if
the Trump administration's proposal includes similar requirements.
A US Defense official said, "Our defence relationship
with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is stronger than ever under President Trump's
leadership. Maintaining our security cooperation remains an important component
of this partnership, and we will continue to work with Saudi Arabia to address
their defence needs".
In his first term, Trump celebrated weapons sales to Saudi
Arabia as good for US jobs.
Lockheed Martin Corp could supply a range of advanced
weapons systems, including C-130 transport aircraft. Lockheed would also supply
missiles and radars.
RTX Corp, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, is also
expected to play a significant role in the package, which will include supplies
from other major US defence contractors, such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman Corp,
and General Atomics.
The kingdom first requested information about General
Atomics' drones in 2018, they said. Over the past 12 months, a deal for US$20
billion of General Atomics' MQ-9B SeaGuardian-style drones and other aircraft
came into focus.
Several executives from defence companies are considering
travelling to the region, as a part of the delegation.
The US has long supplied Saudi Arabia with weapons. In 2017,
Trump proposed approximately US$110 billion of sales to the kingdom.
As of 2018, only US$14.5 billion of sales had been
initiated and Congress began to question the deals, in light of the murder of
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In 2021, under Biden, Congress imposed a ban on sales of
offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi killing, and to pressure
the kingdom to wind down its Yemen war, which had inflicted heavy civilian
casualties.
Under US law, major international weapons deals must be
reviewed by members of Congress before they are finalized.
The Biden administration began to soften its stance on Saudi
Arabia in 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine impacted global oil
supplies.
The ban on offensive weapons sales was lifted in 2024, as
Washington worked more closely with Riyadh in the aftermath of Hamas' October 07
attack, to devise a plan for post-war Gaza.
A potential deal for Lockheed's F-35 jets, which the kingdom
has been reportedly interested in for years, is expected to be discussed, three
of the sources said, while downplaying the chances for an F-35 deal being
signed during the trip.
The United States guarantees that its close ally Israel
receives more advanced American weapons than Arab states, giving it what is
labeled a "qualitative military edge" (QME) over its neighbors.
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