The State Department on Monday said it has approved a potential $582 million foreign military sale (FMS) to Saudi Arabia for the modernization of the RE-3A Tactical Airborne Surveillance System aircraft that would include new sensors and communications equipment.
L3Harris Technologies [LHX] is the prime contractor for the upgrades. The RE-3 is a modified Boeing [BA] 707 commercial aircraft.
The upgrades include seven embedded GPS/inertial navigation system security devices, M-Code capability, five L3Harris BlackRock communications intelligence sensor suites, KY-100M narrowband/wideband secure communications terminals, KIV-77 MODE 4/5 identification friend or foe cryptographic appliques, AN/PYQ-10 simple key loaders, integrated electronic intelligence/signals intelligence systems, L3Harris multiband receivers/transmitters, RTX [RTX] ARC-210 radios, high frequency radios, secure communications equipment, test and integration support, spare and repair parts.
Separately, the State Department approved a potential $85 million sales of 18 man-portable AN/TPQ-50 radar and related equipment to the United Arab Emirates. The proposed sale also includes 107mm high explosive rockets for testing in the U.S., computer digital military laptop radar control display units, 5kW advanced medium mobile power source trailer-mounted, diesel engine driven power unit PU-2001 spares, mission, communications, and navigation equipment, repair parts and other equipment.
SRC, Inc. is the principal contractor for the lightweight radar.
The State Department said that radar will be used to “recognize incoming threats from hostile nations or agents of adversary nations” and will support the UAE’s “efforts to protect critical infrastructure and high value civilian targets, as well as military installations and forces from rocket, artillery, and mortar and unmanned aerial system threats.”
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Monday notified Congress of the potential FMS deals.
A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.