Middle East Monitor – The US State Department has approved the potential sale of $445 million in heavy tactical vehicles and associated equipment to Kuwait, Defense News reports.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which supports US national security and foreign policy interests, has already notified Congress about the sale, the site added. Despite the approval, the notification does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded.
The approval comes after Kuwait placed a request to procure a total of 517 heavy tactical vehicles, including Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) and Heavy Equipment Transporters (HET).
In a statement, DSCA said: “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the US by helping to improve the security of a major non-Nato ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.”
Last month, the Pentagon stated that the US is pulling approximately eight Patriot anti-missile batteries from the Middle East, including from Kuwait.
In December the US State Department approved the potential sale to Kuwait of Apache helicopters and spare parts for the Patriot missile system in two separate deals that could have a value of $4.2 billion.
