For the first time in its history the United States' Air Force is providing basic training for foreign military personnel.

The recipients of the training are Saudi Arabian Royal Air Force recruits. The first wave of the 1300 recruits that will be trained over the next six years, arrived at the Lackland Air Base in San Antonio, Texas on Thursday (9 October).

Their induction as routine, and within hours they were on the parade ground drilling.

The recruits will be taught English, science and basic mathematics as well as receiving specialised technical training in some 35 different fields.

A number of reasons obviously lie behind the American decision to train the men.

The U.S. regards Saudi Arabia as a friendly country and a moderate influence in the Arab world, and it's no coincidence that the oil rich country is one of the biggest purchasers of U.S. military weapons.

The training programme is very expensive. It's to cost the Saudi government between 90 and 100 million dollars (U.S.).