WASHINGTON (Christian Science Monitor) -- The U.S. State Department officially announced Wednesday plans to sell up to $60 billion in advanced military aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

The Wall Street Journal, which broke details of the sale in early September, reports the largest-ever U.S. overseas arms deal will include authorization for the Saudis to purchase up to 84 new F-15s and upgrades to Saudi Arabia's existing fleet of 70 F-15s, as well as new helicopters and other weapons.
While the arms sale has been known about for months and been under negotiation since 2007, Wednesday's announcement revealed that it would include up to 1,000 one-ton bunker-buster bombs, which would “enhance the capability of Saudi Arabia's air force to bomb hardened bunkers and tunnels,” reports the Journal.
The announcement triggers the start of a 30-day window for Congress to review the deal, before the United States and Saudi Arabia launch more detailed negotiations of the sale. The Washington Post reports that Congress is not expected to block the deal, despite vocal opposition from some members of Congress. The Post cites defense industry analysts, who say that Congress has been generally unable to block such arms sales in the past.
The Jerusalem Post reports that Israel is not expected to object to the arms deal, despite some reservations, as it does not threaten Israel's military advantage in the Middle East. However, Israel is “not thrilled about it,” said spokesman Jonathan Peled of the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
But U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl said the deal doesn't include “the types of systems the Israelis would be most concerned about,” i.e. long-range weapons that could potentially be used against Israel. The arrival of F-15s to Saudi Arabia would not begin until 2015, the same year Israel is slated to begin receiving more-advanced F-35s.
In addition, the arms sale is also meant to bolster Saudi Arabia against other threats to regional stability. During the announcement of the deal, Andrew Shapiro of the U.S. State Department said that the sale would “protect (Saudi) security in a dangerous neighborhood against legitimate security threats.”
Dr. Theodore Karasik of the Institute for Near East and Persian Gulf Military Analysis in Dubai told The Christian Science Monitor earlier this month that U.S. military allies in the Middle East “face a number of state and nonstate threats.” Dr. Karasik noted as an example that Saudi forces have clashed with Houthi rebels along the Yemen-Saudi border, and that the helicopters provided in the arms sale could strengthen the Saudis there.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the U.S. sold up to $37 billion in arms to Persian Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait from 2005 to 2009.
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