The United States government is set to sell Saudi Arabia 84 Boeing F-15 fighter jets worth US$ 30 billion over a ten-year period, despite Israeli “reservations” to the deal, the ‘Wall Street Journal’ reports. However, the package would not include on-board targeting systems as advanced as those used in US or Israeli fighter aircraft in part to garner Israeli approval, the newspaper says in its report published on Monday. Otherwise, Israel could exert pressure on Congress to block the agreement.
Though overseas weapon sales are packaged and approved by the Defense Department, Congress can still hold up any deal or demand assurances of its own. It would be one of the biggest single arms deals of its kind. The Obama administration is expected to formally notify Congress of its plans as early as next month.
According to the ‘Wall Street Journal’, it has been a source of behind-the-scenes tensions, with Israeli officials having repeatedly conveyed concerns in private that the US risked undermining its military advantage by equipping regional rivals with new technologies. US officials told the paper they had provided "clarifications" in recent weeks to allay Israel's fears.
Large-scale weapons deals with Saudi Arabia were spearheaded by President George W. Bush as a way of checking the regional influence of Iran. However, Iran is far from the only security challenge facing Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year, Saudi armed forces sustained heavy losses during extended skirmishes with Yemeni rebels on the southern border.
