Obama to Saudi Dictators: I've got your back, friend
Posted: 09-13-2010 10:28 AM
Hope and change by the bucketful. This guy is totally different than his predecessor. It's like night and day.
I'm sure the defense industry was as shocked as the rest of us to hear of this potential windfall.
I'm sure the defense industry was as shocked as the rest of us to hear of this potential windfall.
The Obama administration is set to notify Congress of plans to offer advanced aircraft to Saudi Arabia worth up to billion, the largest U.S. arms deal ever, and is in talks with the kingdom about potential naval and missile-defense upgrades that could be worth tens of billions of dollars more.
The administration plans to tout the billion package as a major job creator—supporting at least 75,000 jobs, according to company estimates—and sees the sale of advanced fighter jets and military helicopters to key Middle Eastern ally Riyadh as part of a broader policy aimed at shoring up Arab allies against Iran.
The talks between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have been widely known for months, but many new details are only now coming into focus. These include the number and type of aircraft involved, how much the Saudis intend to spend in an initial installment, and the ongoing negotiations to also upgrade the kingdom's navy and missile defense. - source