$29.4bn US-Saudi fighter jet sale signed

By Rizwan Khatik - Sat Dec 31, 5:24 am

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has boosted its defense capabilities with a $29.4 billion arms deal with the United States.

Saudi Arabia confirmed on Friday that it has signed a deal to buy 84new US fighter jets to maximize its defense capabilities as tension between the United Statesand Iran escalates following Teheran’s threat to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The $29.4 billion deal, which was signed on Dec 24 in Riyadh, will supply 84 new BoeingF-15SA aircraft, modernize 70 existing planes, and also includes munitions, spare parts,training and maintenance contracts, US officials said.
The deal, the single priciest US arms sale to a foreign country, was first unveiled in October2010 as part of a $60 billion US arms sale to Saudi Arabia.

It “ensures the kingdom receives the highest possible defense capabilities to protect its peopleand land”, Saudi Arabia’s state news agency SPA quoted a defense ministry spokesman assaying.

In a previous statement, Defense Minister Prince Salman emphasized the need to modernize the Kingdom’s armed forces and bolster its defense capabilities in the face of growing challenges and threats.