The massive US arms deal with Saudi Arabia signed last month by President Trump is continuing to drive up arms makers’ stock, though at present the exact dollar values for specific companies are a matter of some speculation. Lockheed Martin, long expected to be one of the big sellers, put their figure at $28 billion.
Lockheed’s sales include 150 Black Hawk helicopters, at the very least, but the company is also trying to sell the Saudis on the THAAD missile defense system, and the small but pricey Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) that the US has been struggling with constantly breaking down.
Boeing offered their own estimates on Saudi contracts, saying they believe they’re getting $50 billion. This is stated to include both military sales and commercial sales. They did not offer guidance on how much of the funding was which, nor if this was sales only, or included maintenance deals for the lifetime of the planes. They also offered no specifics on what was being sold.
These companies and other well-connected US arms makers are all expected to make quite a bit of money off this new arms deal with Saudi Arabia, as well as more money off of President Trump’s planned military spending increases. As the chance of peace suddenly breaking out looks more and more remote, the arms makers are expected to continue raking in money hand over fist.