US clears $5B in JDAMs for Saudi Arabia, other Middle East deals

WASHINGTON — The US State Department today greenlit several potential arms deals for key Middle East partners Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iraq, totaling about $6.1 billion-worth of equipment.

By far the largest approved sale would be for Riyadh to buy just over 10,000 kits of the extended range Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and associated equipment in a deal valued at $5 billion. The prospective transaction includes a similar number of dumb bombs — split almost evenly between 500 lb. and 2,000 lb. munitions — which when equipped with a JDAM can be used as a precision weapon. JDAMs are supplied by aerospace giant Boeing. 

Saudi Arabia’s JDAM stockpiling comes amid heavy aerial bombardment during conflict with Iran, which has depleted inventories of key precision munitions, according to an estimate by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The JDAM is often seen as a cheaper alternative to more exquisite weapons, but Boeing has previously said its extended range variant is limited to a distance of over 45 miles — requiring aircraft carrying the weapon to fly relatively closer to a target.

The State Department today additionally cleared a second potential arms sale for Riyadh covering 60 AGT-1500 tank engines, which are used to power the M1 Abrams. That deal, according to the State Department, is valued at $750 million, and the prime contractor is Honeywell. 

Separately, Oman was approved to buy $188 million worth of sustainment services for its fleet of F-16 fighter jets. While Lockheed Martin builds the F-16 and principally runs the aircraft’s sustainment, the State Department notice says that “no principal contractor” is associated with the potential sale, and that “[s]upport will be provided by U.S. Government or contracted vendors based upon requirements as they are determined.”   

A mediator in the Iran conflict, Oman has also been the target of President Donald Trump’s ire, including threats by the president to bomb the Gulf sultanate. 

Finally, the State Department authorized the possible sale of Bell 412EPX helicopters to Iraq, which the notice says is estimated at $150 million. The primary contractor for that purchase would be Bell-Textron. 

That announcement follows a similar sale cleared by the State Department on Monday for Baghdad to buy $800 million worth of helicopters, including the Bell 412EPX and 407M. A spokesperson for the State Department did not immediately respond when asked about the difference between the two notifications. 

Each sale announced today, issued in the form of a congressional notification, is not final. Quantities and dollar totals often shift during negotiations. The notifications also technically tee up an opportunity for lawmakers to block each deal within a 30-day period, though such a step would be unlikely.