US agrees to sell hundreds of millions of dollars worth of missiles to a Middle Eastern country

The Avenger air defense system fires a Stinger air defense missile. (Source: Joint-Forces)

According to AFP news agency, the US State Department has notified the US Congress of its approval to sell 720 Stinger missiles to Egypt, a country in the Middle East-North Africa region, for use on existing systems.

The sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by "helping improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic growth in the Middle East," the department said in a statement.

The new weapons will improve Egypt’s ability to respond to current and future threats by strengthening its defense capabilities against regional actors and improving interoperability with systems operated by the United States and other security partners.

According to the US State Department, Egypt's continued investment in defense capabilities is critical to protecting its borders, transportation infrastructure, and people, while "not altering the basic military balance in the region."

Egypt should have no trouble adopting the Stinger missile into its armed forces. The US Congress can still block the decision, but such efforts have often been unsuccessful.

The deal is likely to add to the backlog of military supplies the United States has received from NATO allies, as well as bolster arms supplies to both Ukraine and Israel.