The controversial deal, approved by the Trump administration, will produce high-tech details of bombs in Saudi Arabia, giving Riyadh unprecedented access to sensitive weapon technology, The New York Times reported. 

The production arrangement is part of a larger armament package worth $ 8.1 billion for Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan. The Trump administration approved the sale without Congress approval, declaring an emergency.

The deal came as a surprise to lawmakers, who were outraged that the administration bypassed the Congress. But most members of Congress have learned that it opens the door for Saudi Arabia to host the production of electronic guidance and control systems for high-precision

The co-production plan surprised some legislators more than a year ago when the administration first tried to secure approval for providing tens of thousands of accurate-guided bombs for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Trump administration defended arms sales as a way to provide Arab allies with the opportunity to protect themselves amid allegedly increased danger from Iran. US officials privately also said that maintaining arms sales helps Washington exert a constructive influence on the kingdom.

“If Saudi Arabia is able to develop an indigenous bomb-making capability as a result of this deal, it will undermine U.S. leverage to prevent them from engaging in indiscriminate strikes of the kind it has carried out in Yemen,” said William D. Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy, a think tank.