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.
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Semi-final fixtures
Portugal v Chile, 7pm, today
Germany v Mexico, 7pm, tomorrow
Your Guide to the Home
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Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
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Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
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