The United States this week ended a suspension of weapons transfers to Egypt, clearing the way for shipments of Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-16 fighter jets and General Dynamics [GD] M1A1 tanks kits to the country.
The Obama administration put a hold on most weapons transfers to Egypt in October 2013 following the military’s removal of an elected president two months earlier. The White House said the shipments would not be restored until Egypt has made some progress on a path toward democratic rule.
The White House said that while it will not certify that Egypt has made the required changes, a review of military assistance concluded it was best to proceed with the transfers based on national security.
The decision clears the way for the transfer of 12 F-16s, 20 Harpoon missiles and 125 M1A1 kits used to assemble tanks. The administration said it will also proceed with a request of $1.3 billion in annual aide.