US approves $1 billion arms sale to UAE

WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday (Oct 5) announced the approval of a US$1 billion sale to the United Arab Emirates of up to 10,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance sections for rockets.

"The proposed sale will improve the United Arab Emirates' capability to meet current and future threats by developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defence capability and improving interoperability with US forces," the US State Department said in a statement.

It "will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major defence partner," the statement added.

The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System converts unguided rockets into precision munitions that can be employed for purposes including shooting down drones, thereby avoiding the use of costly missiles to shoot down comparatively cheap aircraft.

The UAE and other US-allied Gulf countries have been hard hit by the Iran war, during which Tehran's forces have repeatedly targeted them with both drones and missiles.

The State Department also announced on Monday the approval of a US$400 million sale to Kuwait - another Gulf state - of "repair and return services" for Patriot missiles, which have played a key role in countering Iranian attacks in the region.

"Kuwait will use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defence" and "will have no difficulty absorbing these article and services into its armed forces," the department said in a statement.