The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missiles and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $5.4 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on July 28, 2015.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has requested a possible sale of six hundred (600) Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Cost Reduction Initiative (CRI) Missiles with containers, eight (8) PAC-3 CRI Test Missiles for fly-to-buy. Also included are PAC-3 Telemetry Kits, PAC-3 Guidance Enhanced Missile (GEM) Flight Test Target/Patriot as a Target (PAAT) missiles, Fire Solution Computers, Launcher Modification Kits, PAC-3 Missile Round Trainers, PAC-3 Slings, Patriot Automated Logistics System (PALS) Kits, Shorting Plugs, spare and repair parts, lot validation and range support, support equipment, repair and return, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, Quality Assurance Team, U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $5.4 billion.
The proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a partner which has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.
The proposed sale will modernize and replenish Saudi Arabia’s current Patriot missile stockpile, which is becoming obsolete and difficult to sustain due to age and limited availability of repair parts. The purchase of the PAC-3 missiles will support current and future defense missions and promote stability within the region. Saudi Arabia, which already has Patriot missiles in its inventory, will have no difficulty absorbing these additional missiles into its armed forces.