The United States has granted preliminary approval for a major arms deal with Saudi Arabia, valued at $3.5 billion, which includes the sale of advanced air-to-air missiles, according to a statement released Friday by the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon).

The State Department authorized the potential transaction, which is intended to strengthen defense cooperation between Washington and Riyadh.

According to media sources on Saturday, the proposed deal includes 1,000 AIM-120C-8 medium-range air-to-air missiles, along with guidance units and technical support services.

The missiles are expected to be manufactured by RTX Corporation, a major U.S. defense contractor headquartered in Arizona.

However, the agreement still requires final approval by the U.S. Congress, which must review and authorize the sale before it can be finalized.