US Approves 2 Military Sales to Netherlands Worth $180 Million - Defense Agency

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US State Department has approved a $70 million sale of kits to the Netherlands that convert unguided artillery shells into precision weapons and a second deal for $110 million to support training for Dutch military pilots in the United States, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced in separate press releases.

"The Netherlands has requested to buy three thousand five hundred (3,500) M1156 Precision Guided Kits" and related items "for an estimated cost of $70 million, the first of two releases said on Tuesday.

The second release announced approval of a $110 million deal to support an existing Royal Netherlands Air Force training unit for F-16 pilots in the United States.

Both releases said the proposed sales support US foreign policy and national security goals by improving security for the Netherlands, a NATO ally that contributes to political stability in Europe.