Air Egypt, Korean Air

The Pentagon has notified Congress of potential foreign arms sales worth $1.2 billion, including upgrades to fighter aircraft, new attack helicopters and ship-based missiles for Egypt and South Korea.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Pentagon arm that works with the State Department to oversee foreign sales of military equipment, has announced three separate potential arms sales packages to a key U.S. partner in the Middle East and an U.S. ally in the Pacific.

The largest by dollar amount would be for Egypt: a potential $820 million sale of advanced combat helicopters to outfit the Arab republic with a dozen Boeing-built AH-64D Block II Apache Longbow helos. Three companies would see the bulk of this work: Boeing's operations in Mesa, AZ, and St. Louis, MO; General Electric's unit in Lynn, MA; and Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control shop in Orlando, FL. The package, according to DSCA's announcement yesterday afternoon, would include:

27 T700-GE-701D Engines, 36 Modernized Targeting Acquisition and Designation Systems/Pilot Night Vision Sensors, 28 M299 HELLFIRE Longbow Missile Launchers, 14 AN/ALQ-144(V)3 Infrared Jammers, and 14 AN/APR-39B(V)2 Radar Signal Detecting Sets. Also included: composite horizontal stabilizers, Integrated Helmet and Display Sight Systems, repair and return, transportation, depot maintenance, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, U.S. Government and contractor technical support, and other related elements of program support.

For South Korea, the Pentagon is proposing two potential arms packages: $170 million for 84 Standard Missiles-2 missiles of various types and an equal number of missile containers, work that would fall to Raytheon Electronic Systems Company in Tucson, AZ.

The other package -- a potential $250 million deal -- would upgrade 35 F-16 Block 32 fighter aircraft, improvements that would “allow employment of Joint Direct Attack Munitions, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, Improved Data Modem, and Secure Voice capabilities,” according to the DSCA statement, which added:

The Republic of Korea is one of the major political and economic powers in East Asia and the Western Pacific and a key partner of the United States in ensuring peace and stability in that region. It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist our ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability, which will contribute to an acceptable military balance in the area. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives.