UAE F-35 and UAV Deal Cleared

摘要

The US State Department has cleared an arms sale including F-35A jets and MQ-9B Reaper UAVs to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The potential $23.37bn deal would include up to 50 F-35s and 18 Reapers, as well as munitions and support. Many congressional Democrats and some Republicans oppose the sale and the Trump administration is believed to want Congress to pass the sale before president-elect Joe Biden's inauguration in January. The head of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said that such a timeline is feasible, but the UAE would need to quickly sign a formal letter of agreement.