The secretary of state did not elaborate on the terms of the agreement but said Washington wanted to ensure that Israel’s “military superiority” was maintained.
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| American F-35 aircraft at an air show in Berlin, Germany on April 25, 2018 (Reuters) |
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced it is suspending talks on a 23 23 billion deal to buy US military equipment due to Washington’s strict conditions, but the United States has said it will still buy F-35 aircraft. Ready to sell.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the UAE embassy in Washington has said it will “suspend” talks with the United States on a 23 billion deal that would allow the United States to supply 50 F-35 aircraft to the UAE. Armed drones and other military equipment were to be sold.
The agreement, reached in the last year of former President Donald Trump’s administration, includes 18 state-of-the-art drone systems and air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons.
UAE officials have accused the United States of insisting on knowing how and where the F-35s could be used, a violation of UAE sovereignty.
The UAE embassy said in a statement that “the United States is the UAE’s preferred supplier for modern defense requirements and negotiations for F-35 aircraft may resume in the future. The United States has said it is still willing to sell fighter jets to the UAE
According to the AFP news agency, the UAE has threatened to terminate the agreement due to Washington’s strict conditions for sale. US Secretary of State Anthony Blankenship said Wednesday: We are ready to move on. If the UAE wants that too.
When asked what conditions Washington has set, he did not elaborate but said that Washington wanted to ensure that Israel’s “military superiority” was maintained.
We want to make sure that a comprehensive review is done before any technology is sold or transferred to a partner in the region he said.
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| This US Air Force photo taken on June 12, 2017, shows F-35 aircraft flying to Estonia (File photo: AFP / US Air Force / Christine Groening) |
Israel, a US ally, has historically opposed the acquisition of Arab F-35s because of its desire for military supremacy in the region.
Negotiations on the deal stalled, the Wall Street Journal reported. According to the newspaper, the United States was insisting on conditions to ensure that F-35 planes do not fall prey to Chinese spying.
The administration is committed to the proposed sale the State Department said in a statement, according to the AP. We will continue to consult to ensure that there is a mutual understanding of the UAE’s responsibilities before, during, and after the delivery of the aircraft.
A State Department official told Al Arabiya English that he hoped work could be done to resolve outstanding issues” related to the proposed arms deal with the UAE. We have recently confirmed at the Dubai Air Show that the Biden administration is committed to the proposed sale of F-35 aircraft, MQ9B, and other weapons to the UAE,” the official added.
On the other hand, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters that US requirements for the use of US-made military equipment are “for the whole world, cannot be discussed and are not specific to the UAE.
John Kirby said the US partnership with the UAE is more strategic and complex than the sale of a single weapon.
The UAE has long been working with the United States on counterterrorism and has allowed the entry of people fleeing Afghanistan during the US evacuation in chaos earlier this year.
