On April 14, the US President Joe Biden’s administration said it would promote the sale of F-35 fighter jets worth $ 23 billion to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However Washington is weighing a number of conditions and will not be able to deliver it anytime soon.
F-35 fighter jets. Photo: AFP / VNA
After President Biden came to power in January, the US State Department asked to reconsider the deal passed under former US President Donald Trump. Previously, there was a lawsuit asking to block the deal on the grounds that the UAE was involved in a conflict in Yemen and supported General Khalifa Haftar’s forces in Libya. In this regard, the US State Department said it planned to conduct a candid and continuous dialogue with the UAE.
In the statement, the State Department spokesperson stated that the US administration intends to launch the sale of fighter jets to the UAE, along with reviewing the details, consulting UAE officials to ensure said the two sides to understand the UAE obligations before, during and after delivery. The handover deadline will be in the next few years.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks has expressed concern about the deal. According to this congressman, since the handover of the aircraft will not take place soon, the National Assembly will have plenty of time to evaluate whether to proceed with the deal, as well as whether to impose terms or arguments do not have any restrictions.
If the deal is enforced, the UAE will be the first Arab country to receive F-35 fighters, aircraft capable of gathering intelligence, attacking deep into the territory of the target and combat in the air. Under the plan, the UAE will receive 50 F-35s, equivalent to the fleet size of Israel.
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