The 2006 Saudi Shopping Spree: $400M to Upgrade AH-64A Apache Helicopters

M1A1s + AH-64As, Bosnia

The USA isn’t the only country planning an Apache helicopter upgrade these days. In addition to $350 million for 24 UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters plus support, $276 million covering spare parts for American vehicles, and a $2.9 billion program to upgrade and enlarge its M1 Abrams tank fleet, Saudi Arabia is also patronizing American defense companies to upgrade 2 Aviation Battalion’s helicopters at King Khalid Military City from AH-64A Apache to AH-64D Apache Longbow configuration.

The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $400 million. To be more specific.

US DSCA Issues a Flurry of International Arms Sale Notifications

UH-60M: love the shot

Saudi Arabia is not the only country requesting arms, upgrades, or services from the USA lately. Last Thursday and Friday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency issued a flurry of notifications that included purchases by Singapore in Asia; by Bahrain, Jordan, and UAE/Dubai in the Middle East (bringing the region’s total arms purchases to $35 billion since December 2005); and by Poland, Spain and The Netherlands in Europe. These purchases total up to $1.86 billion, and include helicopters, UAV/UAS systems, engines, F-16 pilot training at bases in the USA for two countries, and upgrades to armored personnel carriers.

Note that these notifications mean that contracts will be concluded for the requests, unless the US Congress successfully intervenes to block specific sales within a 30-day period.

UK Unveils Draft Defence Industrial Strategy

UK MoD

In the fall 2005, Britain’s new Minister for Defence Procurement Lord Drayson’s said he intended to unveil a national defense industrial strategy draft by Christmas 2005. Said White Paper is now available: Defence Industrial Strategy: Defence White Paper, December 2005.

Dingos Approved for Israel – Will They Still Sell?

Dingo 2
(click to view larger)

In “Another 149 Dingo Vehicles for the Bundeswehr,” DID noted in passing that the sale of KMW’s Dingo “All-Protected Vehicles” to Israel had been held up by the German government. Reader Richard North recently wrote in with a link to a July 12 story in the Israeli newspaper Arutz Sheva, noting that the sale of 100 Dingo vehicles had finally been approved for about $100 million. A second, billion-dollar deal between Germany and Israel for the sale of two Thyssen-HDW Dolphin-class submarines was said to still be is under review, with a decision expected soon. See DID’s coverage of the Dolphin submarine deal for more background.