US OKs sale of Advanced Missiles to Kuwait
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP)
The Biden administration has approved a $3 billion sale of advanced medium-range missiles NASMAS to Kuwait to help the tiny oil-rich Gulf country defend itself.
The State Department notified Congress on Thursday of the planned sale, which comes amid heightened tensions in the region that many blame on Iranian proxies, notably in Iraq, Kuwait’s northern neighbor.
The package includes 63 medium range air-to-air missiles, 63 extended-range surface-to-air missiles and 63 tactical missiles along with associated equipment such as radar and communications systems.
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The administration said the sale would support U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives while bolstering Kuwait’s defense capabilities.
“The proposed sale will improve Kuwait’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing the ability to defend itself against regional malign actors and improve interoperability with systems operated by U.S. forces and other Gulf countries,” the department said in a statement.
It noted that in addition to protecting its own energy infrastructure Kuwait hosts more than 4,000 American military personnel and civilian workers. The U.S. said the sale would not alter the military balance in the region.
Both Hungary and India have also purchased NASAMS to defend their territories in recent years.
The Pentagon announced in July that it would purchase NASAMS for Kyiv with $770 million in aid from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The long-term goal is wean Ukrainians off the Soviet-era air defense systems that it has so far used to repel Russian attacks. Still, it will take several months or years for Kongsberg Defence and Raytheon to manufacture the system for Ukraine.
While the estimated cost for Kuwait comes in at $3 billion, the final dollar amount is subject to change until the Defense Department finalizes a contract with Raytheon. The State Department’s approval kicks off the 30-day congressional review period.
Congress has advanced legislation in recent months to hasten the slow-moving delivery of weapons to customers across the world, although the efforts so far have largely centered on a $14 billion backlog of foreign military sales to Taiwan as the United States seeks to deter China from retaking the island by force.
