The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a possible foreign military sale (FMS) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a blanket order training programme for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) and other Saudi forces.
The proposed FMS has been granted approval by the US State Department.
Under the estimated $750m deal, the Government of Saudi Arabia has requested the continuation of the air force blanket order training programme inside and outside of the country.
The training includes English language training, technical, flight and specialised training, professional military education and mobile training teams (MTTs).
The arrangement will also see either the US Air Force (USAF), the US Department of Defense (DoD) agencies, or the contractor offering all relevant types of training to include participation in the contiguous US (CONUS) DoD-sponsored education and MTTs that will travel to Saudi Arabia.
Provisions for programme management, trainers, simulators, travel, billeting, and medical support are also specified in the agreement.
As part of the training, the RSAF and other Saudi forces will deal with subjects such as civilian casualty avoidance, law of armed conflict, human rights command and control, and targeting via MTTs and/or broader programmes of instruction (POIs).
The training will enable the US to fulfil its commitment to boost security in the Middle East country while strengthening the US-Saudi Arabia strategic partnership and enhancing its military interoperability.
