WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of F-35 fighter jets, munitions and related equipment to the Czech Republic in a deal valued at up to $5.62 billion, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Thursday. The principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin (NYSE:), Raytheon (NYSE:) and Boeing (NYSE:).
Last year, the Czech government said it wanted to buy 24 F-35 jets to replace leased Gripen fighters from Sweden’s Saab AB .
The package approved by the State Department would also include a spare engine, 70 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), various bombs, support equipment, spares and technical support, the Pentagon said.
Despite approval by the State Department, the notification does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded.
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