Saudis Cleared To Buy A Whopping 20,000 Laser-Guided Rockets
Summary
The U.S. State Department has greenlit a potential $2 billion arms deal allowing Saudi Arabia to acquire up to 20,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS II) laser guidance kits, split evenly between air-to-air and air-to-ground variants. The deal comes amid escalating regional tensions, including increased Iranian drone and missile attacks across the Middle East and a renewed conflict between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels in Yemen, with both sides recently striking each other's airports. The APKWS II system has proven highly effective and extraordinarily cost-efficient for shooting down drones and low-end cruise missiles, with a full unit cost of roughly $18,000-$23,000 compared to standard air-to-air missiles that can cost between $450,000 and $1 million each. The weapons are expected to be integrated onto Saudi Arabia's existing fleet of Eurofighter Typhoons and F-15SA fighter jets, both of which are already cleared to carry the APKWS system. The State Department justified the sale as supporting U.S. foreign policy objectives by strengthening Saudi Arabia's defensive capabilities and improving interoperability with American and NATO forces in the Gulf region.
Key Takeaways
- 1. The U.S. State Department approved a $2 billion deal for Saudi Arabia to purchase up to 20,000 APKWS II laser guidance kits, equally divided between air-to-air and air-to-ground variants
- 2. The APKWS II system is dramatically more cost-effective than traditional air-to-air missiles, costing roughly $18,000-$23,000 per unit compared to $450,000-$1 million for conventional missiles
- 3. The sale is directly driven by escalating regional threats, particularly Iranian drone attacks and renewed Houthi rebel aggression targeting Saudi Arabia
- 4. Saudi Arabia plans to integrate these weapons onto its Eurofighter Typhoon and F-15SA fighter jets, mirroring their successful use by U.S. military aircraft against Houthi drones
- 5. The deal serves broader U.S. strategic interests by bolstering a key non-NATO ally's defenses while enhancing military interoperability across the Gulf region