Saudi Arabia said to buy combat ships worth $6 bln

Saudi Arabia is set to buy four Littoral Combat Ships by Lockheed Martin Corp worth $6 billion, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The ships will be better-armed than their predecessors, the sources said. The deal also includes support equipment, munitions, and electronic-warfare systems.

The US and Saudi Arabia will also ink an agreement for as many as 48 CH-47 Chinook helicopters and related equipment built by Boeing, worth around $500 million. The deal was approved by the US State Department and Congress in December, an official said.

The arms deals between the US and the Kingdom are expected to be officially announced during American president Donald Trump’s ongoing visit to Saudi Arabia.