The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System is a cost-effective option for shooting down small, low-cost armed drones.
The US State Department has approved the first sale of its advanced precision kill weapons system to Saudi Arabia at an estimated cost of $100 million, according to the Pentagon.
The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), approved for sale to Saudi Arabia, is a laser-guided rocket that impacts both airborne and ground surface targets, said in a statement Thursday.
“The proposed sale will provide the ability to meet current and future threats of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and provide the ability to accurately attract targets with risk of secondary damage that is far less than other guided missile systems,” it said in a statement Thursday.
The weapons cost around $22,000, making them a cost-effective option for firing down small, low-cost armed drones like those used by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Thursday notified Congress of the possibility of selling 2,000 APKWS and associated equipment and training.
“This proposed sales support foreign policy goals and the US national security goals by improving the security of partners, a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region,” the Pentagon noted.
Despite approval from the State Department, the notice does not indicate that the contract has been signed or that negotiations have been completed. The main contractor for sales will be the BAE system, the Pentagon said.
Potential sales began last Saturday, killing at least 31 people in such operations as the US continues to wave of strikes against targets of Hooty in Yemen. Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.
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