RNA - Al-Ray al-Youm noted the recent reports released by the western media that the US is seeking to finalize arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars with Saudi Arabia ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh later this month, and said the move is meant to save the US economy.
Also, Defense News reported that Turkey’s defense and procurement officials are expecting to finalize a large defense export contract with Saudi Arabia, but its contents will be kept top secret.
According to the report, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said the defense export contract with Saudi Arabia will be the largest-ever single export deal for the Turkish industry.
Al-Youm daily wrote that the Saudi greed to sign such lucrative military contracts is first for strengthening the US and Turkish economies and second for pursuing its warmongering policies in the region by continued wars in Syria and Yemen and other possible wars in future.
Trump is due to arrive in Saudi Arabia in late May as part of his first foreign trip since becoming US president, after which he will visit Israel. He is also set to travel to the Vatican, as well as NATO and G7 summits in Brussels and Sicily.
The proposed weapons contracts are said to include the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system (THAAD), which costs $1 billion and was recently deployed by the US in South Korea to defend against the threat of North Korean missiles.
Also being discussed as part of the package are the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the M109 artillery piece, as well as the Littoral Combat Ship, according to Reuters.
In addition, some $1 billion-worth of munitions are said to be part of the deal, including armor-piercing warheads and laser-guided bombs.
847/940