According to media reports the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has pulled out of talks with America over 50 F-35 fighter aircrafts. The F-35 acquisition was part of a $23 Billion arms deal. It expressed concerns about a restrictive end-user contract.
Plans to purchase 5th-generation fighter jets were sent. “re-assessment”The unnamed UAE official confirmed to Reuters that earlier Wall Street Journal reports had been accurate about a possible breach of the deal.
“Technical requirements, sovereign operational restrictions, and cost/benefit analysis led to the re-assessment,”The official added that Washington remains “the UAE’s preferred provider for advanced defense requirements and discussions for the F-35 may be re-opened in the future.”
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Reports claim that the country was looking to “address mutual defense security conditions for the acquisition,”It also rejected what it considered an excessively restrictive end-user agreement. Washington has reportedly created these requirements in order to preserve cutting-edge aircraft from potential threats, citing the friendly relationship Abu Dhabi maintains with China. “espionage”Beijing tries.
The US has been very ambiguous on the fate of the deal, with Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stating earlier that Washington’s ties with the Gulf nation was a strategic matter, spanning far beyond simple arms trade. Kirby stated that the US wanted to answer the Abu Dhabi questions, and referred any further questions about the arms trade to State Department.
“We will continue to insist on different end usage requirements as a matter law and policy.”Kirby stated.
Unnamed State Department officials spoke to Reuters under anonymity to say that Washington wanted to resolve the remaining issues in order to ensure the agreement was successful. “We are hopeful that we can work through any outstanding issues,”According to the official.
The sale of 50 F-35 jets comes as a part of a $23 billion arms deal that the US and the UAE reached in the last days of Trump’s administration. It also includes 18 MQ-9B Reaper attack aircraft, and other high-tech munition.
This deal had a rough start. It was suspended soon after it was inked. Shortly after Joe Biden’s election, the US sent Trump-era weapons deals to be re-assessed.
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