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The arms deal, which President Barack Obama's administration
officially unveiled this week to Congress, could potentially bring the
U.S. defense industry $60 billion over a decade or more, making it one
of the single largest U.S. weapons sales ever.

If Congress does not block the sale – which administration officials
said they do not expect – it will further cement the U.S.-Saudi
security relationship for years to come. The kingdom will be dependent
on U.S. training and maintenance for its new weapons.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The bountiful package of
high-end fighter jets, helicopters, radar and missiles that Washington
has agreed to sell Saudi Arabia is the strongest signal yet that the
two countries have recovered from the their post-9/11 meltdown in
bilateral relations.

The package on the table, which has been under
negotiation since the Bush administration, authorizes Saudi Arabia to
buy 84 new F-15 fighter jets and three types of helicopters: 70
Apaches, 72 Black Hawks and 36 Little Birds.

The deal also includes an upgrade for 70 other F-15s already in the
Saudi Air Force, as well as Saudi purchases of HARM anti-radar missiles,
precision-guided JDAM bombs and Hellfire missiles.

Such a deal could not have happened eight years ago, said Anwar
Eshki, chairman of the Jeddah-based Middle East Center for Strategic<... >>>