WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of Triton unmanned aircraft systems to Germany for an estimated cost of $2.5 billion, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

Northrop Grumman Corp and Airbus Defence and Space, a unit of Airbus SE, are the prime contractors, the Pentagon statement said.

“The proposed sale of the MQ-4C Triton will close a crucial capability gap and will enhance bilateral and NATO interoperability and will help ensure that Germany is able to continue to monitor and deter regional threats,” the statement said.