The US defence company Lockheed Martin has continued its roll in the Arabian Gulf, as the Pentagon cleared the sale of military planes worth US$6.7bn (Dh24.61bn) to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi request for the purchase of 20 C-130J transport planes and five KC-130J refuelling aircraft, as well as related equipment comes only days after the proposed sale of missile systems to the UAE and Qatar worth $7.6bn was disclosed in Washington.
The "sale to Saudi Arabia represents the largest foreign military sale of C-130s in the programme's history," said Peter Simmons, a Lockheed spokesman.
The kingdom received its first C-130 in 1965, and currently operates 50 such aircraft. The planes it has requested are an upgraded version with an extended rump, allowing for greater haulage.
"Saudi Arabia needs these aircraft to sustain its ageing fleet, which faces increasing obsolescence," said the US defence security cooperation agency (DSCA), which approved the recent deals.
The Saudi deal also includes General Electric as a contract, the Pentagon said, while some of the aircraft engines are supplied by British company Rolls-Royce.
The UAE requested a possible sale of 48 terminal altitude area defence (Thaad) missiles and nine launchers along with other equipment, according to a statement by the US defence department last week.
Thaad is a defence system against ballistic missiles used by the United States and its allies.
The systems would be supplied by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, another US defence industry giant, at an estimated cost of $1.135bn.
Qatar requested two Thaad fire units, 12 launchers, 150 interceptors and other parts and services for an estimated $6.5bn.
The DSCA said a proposed sale would support US foreign policy and national security by helping two allies that are key "for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East".
Lockheed Martin's incoming chief executive, Chris Kubasik, was fired on Friday over an affair with a colleague.
