Saudi Arabia has sent a letter of request to the US government for the purchase of Boeing F-15s aeroplanes and AH-64 helicopters.

The kingdom is also interested in acquiring 72 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, missile-defence systems and other additional equipment from Boeing.

“It is our understanding that a letter of request for F-15s, AH-64s and other equipment and services has been received by the US government. We are working with our US government customer through the normal foreign military sales channels to meet the requirement,” says a spokesman for Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

Congress is expected to be notified of the sale within the next two months.

The F-15 is a fighter jet and the AH-64 is a twin-engine attack helicopter with a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems.

Saudi Arabia’s last significant US weapons purchase was 72 F-15s in 1992, a transaction valued at as much as $9 billion. The last planes in that contract were delivered in November 1999.

The US government is said to be interested in supplying Saudi Arabia with advanced military hardware and equipment as a precaution to the growing nuclear threat from Iran.