© U.S. Navy / Lockheed-Martin / Handout / Reuters

US State Dep't approved the proposed sale to Saudi Arabia of four heavily armed versions of the littoral combat ship https://t.co/rv4wc9PUu8— Doug Pologe (@DougPologe) October 20, 2015

The US government has approved the potential sale of up to four warships to Saudi Arabia, along with weapons, training and logistics support., which is still being negotiated.US lawmakers were notified of the potential sale by the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign military sales. On Tuesday, the agency published the deal's details on its website. The actual ships, weapons and other hardware included in the proposed transaction amount to $4.3 billion, with the rest of the funds going to engineering, logistics and training portions of the program.Dubbed the Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC), the new warships would be based on Lockheed's Freedom-class littoral combat ship (LCS) design. Radar, sonar and fire-control systems would be included in the sale, along with a full armament suite.On the list of offensive armaments that would be provided within the contract are RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and 76mm OTO Melara MK-75 main guns. The ships would also be armed with RIM-162 ESSM medium-range surface-to-air missiles, RIM-116 missiles and MK-15 Phalanx point defense systems.the Pentagon said in the announcement, describing Saudi Arabia as "a strategic regional partner" and an "important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East."The sale of the new US ships "will not alter the basic military balance in the region," the Pentagon added.Saudi Arabia is looking to modernize its naval forces in the Persian Gulf, which currently operate four US-built corvettes acquired in the early 1980s, and three French-built frigates purchased between 2002 and 2004. The Royal Saudi Navy's Eastern Fleet is based in the Persian Gulf port of Jubail.Lockheed CEO Marillyn Hewson said the deal could be completed in 2016, according to Reuters.. That sale was approved by the Pentagon in May.