The U.S. Department of State announced Tuesday that it is relaxing a partial aid suspension imposed on Egypt after the country's military ousted President Mohamed Morsi last year and launched a violent crackdown on protesters.

The department made the decision to stop sending "large-scale military systems" to Egypt in October “pending credible progress toward an inclusive, democratically elected civilian government through free and fair elections.”

Tuesday's announcement that the U.S. government will provide Cairo with 10 Apache attack helicopters came after officials concluded Egypt had upheld its peace treaty with Israel, U.S. officials said.

Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979 that eased tensions and normalized relations between the two countries.

Tuesday's move comes ahead of the May 26 and 27 presidential election and amid concerns that Egypt has failed to embrace democratic reforms after Morsi was deposed in July of last year. At least 1,400 people have been killed in the crackdown on Morsi's supporters and thousands more arrested, according to Amnesty International.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel informed Egyptian Defense Minister Gen. Sedki Sobhy of the decision in a phone call Tuesday, said Rear Adm. John Kirby, Hagel’s spokesman, in a statement.

The choppers are meant to bolster counterterrorism operations in the Sinai, Kirby said.

"The secretary noted that we believe these new helicopters will help the Egyptian government counter extremists who threaten U.S., Egyptian, and Israeli security," the statement read.