US approves precision rocket sale to Saudi Arabia

Potential sale comes as US continues wave of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen

Aerial view of the Pentagon. AFP

The US State Department has approved what would be the first sale of advanced precision weapon systems to Saudi Arabia for an estimated cost of $100 million, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

The potential sale comes as the US continues strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen that began last Saturday. US President Donald Trump has vowed to “completely annihilate” the rebel group in a new, intensified campaign.

The advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS) approved for sale to Riyadh is a laser-guided rocket that can hit both airborne and surface targets. The price of the weapon is about $22,000, making it a cost-effective choice for missions such as shooting down low-cost, small armed drones like those used by the Houthis, which have disrupted shipping in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have launched scores of attacks on ships crossing the Red Sea, ostensibly in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, since October 2023. After a brief ceasefire, which corresponded with a US-brokered truce in Gaza, the Houthis again began attacking shipping lanes in recent weeks.

The Pentagon's Defence Security Co-operation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale of 2,000 APKWS and associated equipment and training to Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

Despite approval by the State Department, the notification does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded. The principal contractor for the sale will be BAE Systems, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The US decision in August last year to lift a ban on selling offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia brought a key security partner in the Middle East back to the fold. The policy was originally meant to pressure the kingdom over its past involvement in the Yemen war.

The civil war in Yemen erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa. At the request of the internationally recognised government, Saudi Arabia led a western-backed coalition in March 2015.

The war, which has abated since a ceasefire in 2022, has killed tens of thousands of people, devastated Yemen's economy and left millions on the brink of starvation.