Saudi Arabia requests C4I FMS from US government
Saudi Arabia has requested C4I system upgrades and maintenance from the US government under a possible foreign military sale (FMS) announced to US congress by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 18 November. The estimated value of the FMS is $1.1 billion.
According to the DSCA, the requested equipment will enable the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) to upgrade its current C4I system to better protect Saudi Arabia’s coastal strategic assets and provide enhanced situational awareness of naval activity in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.
Specifically, the request includes 109 Link–16 Multifunction Information Distribution System Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVT), Global Command and Control Systems – Joint (GCCS-J), Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), Commercial Satellite Communications (SATCOM), Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System (CENTRIXS) and follow-on systems, Commercial High Frequency (HF) Radios, Commercial Ultra High Frequency/ Very High Frequency (UHF/VHF) Radios, HF Voice and Data, HF Sub-Net Relay (SNR), Commercial HF Internet Protocol (IP)/SNR, Global Positioning System (GPS), Air Defense System Interrogator (ADSI). Associated parts, training and logistical support have also been requested.
If it goes ahead, the acquisition and integration of all systems will be managed by the US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Weapons Command (SPAWAR).
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