The U.S. State Department has approved a possible sale to United Arab Emirates of Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) guided air-and-missile defense system and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.7 billion, the Pentagon said on Friday.

UAE requested a possible sale of 452 PAC-3 Missiles Segment Enhanced (MSE). Also included are tools and test equipment, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, spare and repair parts, facility design, U.S. Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics, sustainment and program support. The estimated cost is $2.728 billion.

The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Friday.

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“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of an important ally which has been, and continues to be,’ a force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East”, said the agency, adding that “the sale is consistent with U.S. initiatives to provide key allies in the region with modem systems that will enhance interoperability with U.S. forces and increase security”.

The prime contractor for the PAC-3 System will be Raytheon Corporation, Andover, Massachusetts, and Lockheed-Martin, Dallas, Texas.

The PAC-3 guided air-and-missile defense system provides a highly reactive hit-to-kill capability in both range and altitude while operating in all environments.

The family of PAC-3 missiles is high-velocity interceptors that defend against incoming threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft. Thirteen nations – the U.S., Germany, Kuwait, Japan, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Romania, Poland, and Sweden have chosen PAC-3 and PAC-3 MSE to provide missile defense capabilities.