US approves major arms sales to Saudi Arabia, Greece, Norway and Kuwait

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) of the Department of Defense published a batch of four arms sales notifications on August 28, 2026, covering proposed defense exports to Saudi Arabia, Greece, Norway and Kuwait. The notices, issued under Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act and Section 155 of Public Law 104–164, were published in the Federal Register, Vol. 91, No. 166, dated Friday, August 28, 2026, in the Notices section, and were signed on August 25, 2026.

The notifications signal continued U.S. defense exports to NATO allies and Middle East partners, spanning precision-guided munitions, loitering missiles, artillery projectiles and strategic airlift sustainment. Combined, the four proposed sales carry an estimated total value of roughly $2.8 billion.

Saudi Arabia: APKWS-II guidance sections

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has requested up to ten thousand (10,000) Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System-II (APKWS-II) air-to-air guidance sections and up to ten thousand (10,000) APKWS-II air-to-ground guidance sections, in a case valued at $1.96 billion (Transmittal No. 26–54).

• Major Defense Equipment (MDE): $1.35 billion
• Other items: $0.61 billion
• Non-MDE items include LAU–131 A/A launchers, Mk-152 high explosive warheads, MK66 rocket motors, proximity fuzes and WTU–1/B practice warheads
• Principal contractor: BAE Systems, Nashua, NH
• Report delivered to Congress: June 15, 2026

The APKWS is a low-cost tactical rocket system that can be launched from rotary-wing, fixed-wing and ground-based platforms, offering multi-mission, multi-target precision-strike capability. The sale will require the assignment of fifteen (15) additional U.S. Government and fifteen (15) contractor representatives to Saudi Arabia.

Greece: Switchblade 300 Block 20 LMAMS

The Government of Greece has requested to buy three hundred fifty (350) Switchblade 300 Block 20 (SB300B20) Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) and thirty-five (35) SB300B20 Fire Control Systems, in a case valued at $80.1 million (Transmittal No. 26–76).

• Major Defense Equipment (MDE): $32.1 million
• Other items: $48 million
• Funding source: Foreign Military Financing and National Funds
• Principal contractor: Aero Vironment Inc., Simi Valley, CA
• Report delivered to Congress: July 16, 2026

The SB300B20 is a lightweight, loitering precision-guided munition with beyond-visual-range capability, optimized for anti-personnel missions and controlled via a secure Digital Data Link. The sale will improve Greece’s capability to deter current and future threats and increase interoperability with the United States.

Norway: 155mm HE M795 projectiles

The Government of Norway has requested to amend a previously implemented Foreign Military Sales case to add 155mm High Explosive (HE) M795 Projectiles, technical assistance and logistics support, in a case valued at $270 million (Transmittal No. 26–82).

• Major Defense Equipment (MDE): $0
• Other items: $270 million
• Principal contractors: American Ordinance, Middletown, IA, and General Dynamics, Camden, AR
• Report delivered to Congress: August 5, 2026

The amendment pushes the original case, valued at $99.99 million, above the congressional notification threshold, requiring notification of the entire program. The sale will enhance Norway’s artillery and mid-range fire capability.

Kuwait: C-17 sustainment

The Government of Kuwait has requested non-major defense equipment for the sustainment of its C-17 strategic airlift fleet, in a case valued at $484 million (Transmittal No. 26–61).

• Major Defense Equipment (MDE): $0
• Other items: $484 million
• Principal contractor: The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA
• Report delivered to Congress: July 15, 2026

The package includes aircraft components, spares and repair parts, ground handling equipment, software and technical documentation, and personnel training. The sale will ensure the operational readiness of Kuwait’s C-17 fleet, which provides strategic airlift capabilities supporting U.S. and coalition operations.

The batch underscores Washington’s continued reliance on arms exports to reinforce the security of NATO allies and strategic partners in the Gulf region, while sustaining U.S. defense industrial capacity. For readers, the notifications reflect the formal, publicly documented channel through which major U.S. defense sales are vetted and disclosed to Congress.

Source: Federal Register, Vol. 91, No. 166, August 28, 2026, Notices section (official references: FR Doc. 2026-17562, 2026-17564, 2026-17565, 2026-17563).