The U.S. State Department has approved a potential $440 million arms sale to Saudi Arabia, comprising 507 TOW 2A and 507 TOW 2B missiles, along with training and support equipment, as confirmed by the Pentagon on Thursday. This sale, with RTX Corporation in Tucson, Arizona, as the principal contractor, aims to bolster Saudi Arabia’s defense infrastructure and enhance its capacity to address present and future security threats in the Gulf region.
The TOW (Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wireless-guided) 2A and 2B missiles are advanced systems designed to engage armored vehicles and fortified positions. The TOW 2A missile specializes in direct frontal attacks, utilizing a high-explosive warhead effective against bunkers and heavy armor. In contrast, the TOW 2B variant features a top-down attack mechanism with dual warheads, targeting the vulnerable upper surfaces of armored vehicles. Both versions employ radio frequency (RF) guidance systems, reducing the risks of jamming or interference in contested environments.
Saudi Arabia is expected to integrate these TOW systems across its fleet of ground and air vehicles, which includes the American M2 Bradley fighting vehicle, Humvees, French AMX-10RCs, and M113 armored vehicles, as well as AH-64 Apache helicopters and Bell 406CS helicopters.
The Pentagon confirmed that this sale will not require additional U.S. military presence or resources in Saudi Arabia and does not disrupt the regional military balance. Saudi Arabia has received multiple U.S. weapons approvals this month, including Sidewinder and Hellfire missiles, which reflect a broader effort to modernize and reinforce the Kingdom’s defenses.
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