The United States has approved the potential sale of 356 Hellfire II air-to-surface missiles to Egypt in a deal worth an estimated $57 million including spares, training and logistics support.
The State Department’s approval of the possible sale was announced by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on April 8, which said the Government of Egypt has requested 356 Lockheed Martin AGM-114K/R3 Hellfire II missiles with containers, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and programme support.
“This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the DSCA said.
“Egypt will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defence. While this potential sale would be the first transfer of the R variant of this missile to Egypt, Egypt already has the F and K variants in its inventory and will have no difficulty absorbing these additional missiles.”
The R-variant also can be fired from sea and ground platforms. However, Egypt will most likely use the missiles on its AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. Late last year it received ten Apaches that had been suspended along with other US military hardware deliveries. The Egyptian Air Force ordered 12 Apaches in 2009 to augment the 35 that have been in service since 2003 with the Egyptian Air Force’s 550 Attack Helicopter Regiment.
The sale could mark the first new sale to Egypt since the United States lifted a halt on weapons exports to the North African nation. The United States announced on March 31 that it was lifting its hold on the supply of military equipment to Egypt, which was frozen when the military took power in Cairo nearly two years ago.
The White House said President Barack Obama was freeing up the equipment and making other changes to military ties with Washington's long-time ally to support US interests while encouraging Egypt's political reforms.
Obama directed the release of 12 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets, 20 Boeing Harpoon missiles, and up to 125 M1A1 Abrams tank kits made by General Dynamics.
The decision was announced after a telephone call between Obama and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in which they also discussed the turmoil that is gripping the region. Egypt, which has worked with the United States on Middle East peace moves, is emerging from a period of domestic upheaval and is engaged in several regional conflicts, including in neighbouring Libya, and fighting Islamic State militants at home.
Sisi is leading an initiative to form a unified Arab military force in the region to confront Iranian-allied rebels in Yemen, and other threats. Egypt is taking part in Operation Decisive Storm, the Saudi-led operation against militants in Yemen.
On Tuesday, US Deputy Secretary for State Antony Blinken said the US would speed up weapons procurement for nations acting in Yemen.
The White House said Washington would "modernize" the way it provided military aid to Cairo to focus on counterterrorism, border security, maritime security and Sinai security, where Islamic State militants have been active.Obama told Sisi he would continue to ask the U.S. Congress for $1.3 billion in military aid for Egypt per year, but said the United States would stop allowing Egypt to buy equipment on credit starting in fiscal year 2018, the White House said.
The deals for the released equipment were paid for long ago, so were not expected to have much impact on the companies.
Egypt has been the second-largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid since its peace treaty with Israel in 1979.
The Egyptian contract is the second big potential US arms deal this week after Congress was notified of a potential $1 billion sale of helicopters and missiles to Pakistan. On Monday, the DSCA said the State Department had approved a potential $952 million sale to Pakistan of 15 Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, 32 General Electric helicopter engines and 1 000 Hellfire missiles.
DSCA said the sale would further provide Pakistan "with military capabilities in support of its counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations."
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US approves Hellfire sale to Egypt
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