Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the Trump administration had formally notified Congress of its intent to sell approximately $23 billion in advanced weaponry to the United Arab Emirates.
The top US
diplomat made this announcement on Tuesday, November 10. He said that the
proposed sales include up to 50 F-35 aircraft valued at $10.4 billion, up to 18
MQ-9B drones valued at nearly $3 billion, "and a package of air-to-air and
air-to-ground munitions, valued at $10 billion."
"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 added.
The move to
authorize the high-dollar sales to the UAE as Donald Trump's presidency nears
its end comes less than two months after the Gulf nation joined a US-brokered
agreement to normalize relations with Israel.
"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.
"The
proposed sale will make the UAE even more capable and interoperable with U.S.
partners in a manner fully consistent with America's longstanding commitment to
ensuring Israel's Qualitative Military Edge."
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