:

State Department Okays $17 Billion In FMS Deals For Middle East Partners

By Cal Biesecker

Thursday, March 19th, 2026

SHARE:

State Department Okays $17 Billion In FMS Deals For Middle East Partners

Raytheon's LTAMDS radar. (Chris Navin Photographer, Advanced Media)

Amid ongoing U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran, the U.S. State Department on Thursday approved nearly $17 billion in potential arms deals with Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, all of which have been attacked by Iranian missiles and drones since Feb. 28. The largest Foreign Military Sale (FMS) is valued at $8 billion and includes eight RTX [RTX]-built Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor Radars (LTAMDS) and related equipment for Kuwait. The LTAMDS provides 360-degree air and…

Congress

SASC Cites Concern With Army’s sUAS Approach, Seeks Info On Plans To Scale Fielding

Senate defense authorizers are seeking more info from the Army on its plans for scaling and deploying small drone capabilities citing concern with the service’s current “fragmented and insufficient” approach. […]

SASC Bill Would Raise Amphib Requirement To 33 Ships

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s (SASC) fiscal year 2027 defense policy bill adds new provisions that would raise the Navy and Marine Corps’ minimum requirement for amphibious warships and extend […]

Army

Army Plans To Initiate ISV-Heavy Competition Later This Year, Official Says

The Army is planning to initiate its competition to build the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV)-Heavy in the fourth quarter of this year, a senior acquisition official has said. Jesse Tolleson, […]

Senate Authorization Bill Restricts Building Navy Warships Overseas With Limited Exception For Auxiliaries

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s (SASC) version of the FY 2027 defense policy bill looks to cut the ability for the Trump administration to buy foreign-made warships, but still allow […]