U.S. State Department approves potential arms sales worth $1.5bn - Pentagon

FILE PHOTO: A view shows a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is being fired in an undisclosed location, in Ukraine in this still image obtained from an undated social media video uploaded on June 24, 2022 via Pavlo Narozhnyy/via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of HIMARS rocket systems to Estonia, missiles to Norway and torpedoes to South Korea in separate deals that could be worth more than $1.5 billion in all, the Pentagon said on Friday.

The sales comes as European countries increase arms purchases after Russia invaded Ukraine, heightening security fears across the region.