WASHINGTON: The Trump administration formally notified Congress that it plans to sell 50 stealth F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that the United States planned to sell top-of-the-line F-35 fighter jets to the UAE as part of a broader $23.37 billion package.
The State Department sent a formal notice to Congress on the sale of the stealth precision planes, long sought by the Gulf Arab ally which won a green light after agreeing in September to recognize Israel.
“This is in recognition of our deepening relationship and the UAE’s need for advanced defense capabilities to deter and defend itself against heightened threats from Iran,” Pompeo said in a statement.
“The UAE’s historic agreement to normalize relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to positively transform the region’s strategic landscape,” Pompeo said. “Our adversaries, especially those in Iran, know this and will stop at nothing to disrupt this shared success,” he said.
Last month, Democratic lawmakers had reported that the State Department had informally discussed the sale with Congress which has the power to block arms sales.
The Democrats expressed fears that the sale would set off an arms race in the region and jeopardise Israel’s undisputed military edge in the region. Israel dropped objections to the sale as it sought even more high-tech equipment from the United States.
The sale includes 50 F-35s equivalent to the size of Israel’s fleet of Lockheed Martin aircraft, which can be used to gather intelligence, conduct airstrikes and carry out air-to-air combat. It also includes up to 18 MQ-9B advanced armed drones as well as $10 billion worth of air and ground munitions.
