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(Bloomberg) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved expedited arms transfers to Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, bypassing a standard congressional review to rush air defense missiles and laser guidance systems to the Middle East as the Iran war ceasefire seems ever more fragile.
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The agreements amount to nearly $9 billion, according to the State Department.
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The department authorized the sale to Israel of as many as 10,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System-II All Up Rounds, worth $992.4 million and manufactured by BAE Systems.
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Kuwait has been cleared to purchase Integrated Battle Command Systems and related equipment worth as much as $2.5 billion. Northrop Grumman Corp., RTX Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. are the principal contractors on the potential sale.
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The department also endorsed the sale to Qatar of up to 200 Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2) Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical (GEM-T) interceptors and 300 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptors and related equipment valued as high as $4.01 billion. Lockheed and RTX are the principal contractors on that purchase.
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In a separate deal, Qatar was approved to buy 10,000 APKWS-II all-up-rounds advanced (single variant) and related equipment, for a maximum potential value of $992.4 million.
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Earlier: US Will Fast-Track $16.5 Billion in Weapons to Mideast Allies
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The State Department also authorized the sale to the UAE of as much as $147.6 million in APKWS and related equipment.
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Rubio, in all of these cases, “has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” of these weapons, and that such an expedited transfer “is in the national security interests of the United States,” according to statements from the department.
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Ordinarily, potential arms purchases are subject to a congressional review period, and the quantities and price are finalized during negotiations between customers and vendors. The secretary of State previously approved expedited weapons sales to Middle Eastern allies in March.
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After the US and Israel began their military campaign against Iran on Feb. 28, several countries in the region came under attack by Iranian drones and missiles.
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The vital Strait of Hormuz has been closed since the early days of the conflict, touching off a global energy crisis, and negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain at a standstill. That has heightened fears that aerial assaults could soon resume.
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