WASHINGTON — The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced that the US State Department has approved the potential sale of Patriot interceptor missiles and related military equipment to Saudi Arabia for an estimated cost of around $9 billion. The Pentagon said in a statement that Lockheed Martin Corp. will be the principal contractor for the sale of the Patriot advanced capability-3 missile segment enhancement missiles (PAC-3 MSE). The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has formally notified the US Congress of the decision. According to the statement, the approval came in response to the Kingdom's request to purchase 730 PAC-3 MSE missiles. The statement emphasized that the proposed sale will neither alter the military balance in the Middle East, nor will result in any adverse impact on the United States’ defense readiness. The deal includes kits to modify existing Patriot launchers to enable them to launch the advanced PAC-3 MSE missiles, as well as automated logistics systems that include equipment and software for managing maintenance, spare parts, and system readiness tracking. The deal also includes missile telemetry equipment used to record flight data during testing and training, along with equipment and spare parts for maintenance and repair, training programs, and technical support.