Saudis seek U.S. weapons

WASHINGTON, June 15 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia is seeking to buy 404 CBU-105D/B sensor fused weapons as part of a package worth an estimated $355 million.

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, in its report of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Congress, said Saudi Arabia intends to use sensor fused weapons to modernize its armed forces and enhance its capability to defeat a wide range of defensive threats, including strong points, bunkers and dug-in facilities; armored and semi-armored vehicles; personnel; and certain maritime threats.

The Saudi air force "will be able to develop and enhance its standardization and operational capability and its interoperability with the (U.S. Air Force), Gulf Cooperation Council member states and other coalition air forces," DSCA said. "Saudi Arabia will have no difficulty absorbing these munitions into its armed forces."

In addition to the weapons, the sale would include 28 CBU-105 Integration test assets, containers, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services and other related elements of logistics support.

The agreement applicable to the transfer of the CBU-105D/B and the CBU-105 integration test assets will contain an agreement of the government of Saudi Arabia that the cluster munitions and cluster munitions technology will be used only against clearly defined military targets and won't be used where civilians are known to be present or in areas normally inhabited by civilians.

The prime contractor will be Textron Systems Corporation of Wilmington, Mass.

Implementation of this proposed sale would require annual trips to Saudi Arabia involving up to two U.S. government and three contractor representatives for technical reviews and support and program management for a period of about two years.