The US was advancing in its plans to close its largest arms deal ever, worth some 60 billion dollars with Saudi Arabia, a report Monday in the Wall Street Journal said.
Initially, Riyadh - a key Arab ally of the US in the Middle East - is thought to be prepared to spend half that amount, with the remainder to be spent only over five to 10 years, DPA reported.
The proposal was said to be billed domestically by Washington as both a method of shoring up a strategic alliance, particularly regarding efforts to contain Iran, and creating jobs.
The systems and equipment being discussed are made by US companies including Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
The deal as it stands would be for advanced aircraft, including warplanes and helicopters, and the final agreement could be worth tens of billions of dollars more in potential naval and missile- defense upgrades, according to the newspaper.
The Journal cited unnamed officials as saying a notification to Congress was expected to be submitted this week or next by the White House.
Future deals could be reached to boost the oil-rich kingdom's naval capacities and ballistic-missile defences.