The United States has approved a potential sale of $24.3 billion sale of F-35 stealth warplanes to Saudi Arabia, the State Department said Thursday. "The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia's capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defense, and improving interoperability with US forces," the State Department said in a statement. It "will also augment Saudi Arabia's operational aircraft and enhance its air-to-air, and air-to-ground self-defense capability," the statement said. The Saudi embassy in Washington praised the transaction, saying it "reflects the strength and enduring nature" of the relationship with the United States. It added that the security cooperation between the two countries "has contributed to regional stability, strengthened our collective defense capabilities, and advanced our shared security interests."
