The US State Department on Friday approved the sale of 18 Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters to Israel to the tune of a reported $3,400,000,000.
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Defense Minister Benny Gantz made the bid for the US-produced helicopter earlier this year to replace Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) aging fleet of CH-53 Sea Stallions as part of the IDF's multi-year modernization plan.
The package will include engines, navigation systems, weaponry, support equipment, spares and technical support.
Lockheed Martin and General Electric are the prime contractors on the deal.
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The State Department said in a statement that "the United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability."
The CH-53K King Stallion is a heavy-lift cargo helicopter the design of which features three 7,500 shp (5,590 kW) engines is able to fly 20 knots (23 mph) faster than its CH-53E predecessor. It also features new composite rotor blades, and a wider aircraft cabin than previous CH-53 variants. It stands to be the largest and heaviest helicopter used by the US military, which has contracted 200 helicopters at a total cost of $25 billion.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
