Abraham Accords: $10 billion sale of American weapons to UAE
Israel sees the Abraham Accords as the beginning of a new era in the Middle East, but in the US the accords removed the obstacle to arms sales worth billions of dollars
Dan Arkin
| 08/11/2020
By Lt. Col. Leslie Pratt - commons file, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68095681
The State Department sent the American Congress an unofficial notification of a plan to supply the UAE with $10 million worth of military equipment, including precision munitions, bombs and missiles. Reuters and CNN reported from Washington that the notification was sent to Congress on Thursday night, shortly after the administration informed Congress of its plan to sell the UAE sophisticated weapons and armed drones.
The State Department notified Congress of its plans to sell the UAE 15 large MQ-9B armed drones in a deal worth $2.9 billion. Reuters reports that the notification followed a previous notification of the sale of F-35 fighters to the UAE. The sale of this kind of large drone will be the first export of its kind since the US signed an agreement with 34 countries authorizing manufacturers to sell these kinds of aircraft to allies.
The MQ-9B armed drones will be equipped with naval radar and be delivered to the UAE in 2024. The package includes 15 aircraft with an option for three more. The UAE is also interested in acquiring the EA-18G Growler, an electronic warfare aircraft that is an electronic warfare version of the F-18 Super Hornet. These planes are intended to jam and block various signals including radar, and are currently only in service in the air forces of the US and Australia.
Israel sees the Abraham Accords as the beginning of a new era in the Middle East, but in the US the accords removed the obstacle to arms sales worth billions of dollars
By Lt. Col. Leslie Pratt - commons file, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68095681
The State Department sent the American Congress an unofficial notification of a plan to supply the UAE with $10 million worth of military equipment, including precision munitions, bombs and missiles. Reuters and CNN reported from Washington that the notification was sent to Congress on Thursday night, shortly after the administration informed Congress of its plan to sell the UAE sophisticated weapons and armed drones.
The State Department notified Congress of its plans to sell the UAE 15 large MQ-9B armed drones in a deal worth $2.9 billion. Reuters reports that the notification followed a previous notification of the sale of F-35 fighters to the UAE. The sale of this kind of large drone will be the first export of its kind since the US signed an agreement with 34 countries authorizing manufacturers to sell these kinds of aircraft to allies.
The MQ-9B armed drones will be equipped with naval radar and be delivered to the UAE in 2024. The package includes 15 aircraft with an option for three more. The UAE is also interested in acquiring the EA-18G Growler, an electronic warfare aircraft that is an electronic warfare version of the F-18 Super Hornet. These planes are intended to jam and block various signals including radar, and are currently only in service in the air forces of the US and Australia.
