US military sale to Saudi Arabia moves ahead
Some members of Congress have grown critical of US support to the Saudi government, some of it revolving around Saudi Arabia's involvement in the Yemeni civil war.
The US government approved a new possible sale of military-related maintenance services to Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia requested to buy roughly $500 million in maintenance and support services for the Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command’s helicopter fleet. The purchase would include component repairs, installation of engineering change proposals, aircraft simulator logistics, training and more, according to a State Department statement.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency informed Congress of the sale Thursday. Legislators have 30 days from the notification to block or modify the sale before the president can finalize it.
The State Department said the sale will help bolster Saudi Arabia and stability in the region.
