U.S. weapons maker Lockheed Martin opens new tab has signed agreements for Saudi Arabian companies to manufacture parts of its missile defense system, as the U.S. continues to conduct military operations in the Middle East against Iran-backed groups.
The sub-contracts for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system will enhance manufacturing capabilities in Saudi Arabia and transfer expertise to strengthen the country’s defence industry, Lockheed said in a statement on Monday.
The deal was announced on the sidelines of the World Defense Show in the capital Riyadh.
State-owned Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) signed 11 agreements at the event, according to the country’s state news agency.
The contracts come at a time of rising tension in the region.
The United States and Britain unleashed attacks against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, a day after the U.S. military hit Tehran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. troops in Jordan.