WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lockheed Martin Corp is nearing an award from the Pentagon worth more than $2 billion for THAAD interceptor missiles, some of which are slated to be delivered to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the deal said on Monday.

In November, Saudi and U.S. officials signed letters of offer and acceptance formalising terms for Saudi Arabia’s purchase of 44 Terminal High Altitude Area Defence launchers, missiles and related equipment.

The deal was inked amid concerns about the role of the kingdom’s leadership in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi critic who lived in the United States and was a columnist for the Washington Post.

The award could come as soon as Monday afternoon, the people said on condition of anonymity.

Representatives for Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon declined to comment.

Lockheed Martin, the biggest U.S. arms maker, builds and integrates the THAAD system, which is designed to shoot down short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Raytheon, another U.S. firm, builds its advanced radar.

As a part of the scope of work outlined by the Pentagon, obsolete systems currently in place will be updated to prepare the current Saudi missile defence infrastructure for the new THAAD technology.