U.S. approves military sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Joint Direct Attack Munitions – extended range

The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $5.0 billion sale of extended-range Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM-ER) kits and associated weapons to Saudi Arabia, a move the administration says will bolster the kingdom’s air defenses and improve interoperability with U.S. and Gulf partners.

According to the notification, Saudi Arabia seeks 5,004 KMU-572 JDAM guidance kits and 5,000 KMU-556 JDAM guidance kits, along with 5,004 BLU-111 500-pound general-purpose bombs and 5,000 BLU-117 2,000-pound general-purpose bombs. The package also covers FMU-139 fuze systems; DSU-38 and DSU-40 target detectors; containers and support gear; spare parts and consumables; repair-and-return services; and U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support.

The State Department said the proposed sale would support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives by reinforcing the defenses of a major non-NATO ally viewed as a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf. It added that the deal would not alter the region’s military balance and that Saudi Arabia would be able to integrate the equipment without difficulty.

Boeing, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is identified as the principal contractor. No offset agreements are currently known; any such arrangements would be negotiated between Saudi Arabia and the contractor.

JDAM kits convert unguided bombs into precision-guided weapons using GPS-aided navigation. The ER variant adds wing kits to extend stand-off range, allowing aircraft to release munitions from farther distances.

As with all Foreign Military Sales, the approval marks a potential sale and does not constitute a final agreement. The proposal is subject to the U.S. congressional review process, and final quantities and dollar values can change during contract negotiations. The State Department said implementing the sale would not require assigning additional U.S. government or contractor personnel to Saudi Arabia.