The deal of US drones and F-35 fighters to the UAE has come close to a conclusion after the approval of the Senate
The White House said, in a statement, that the sales directly support US foreign policy and national security objectives by "enabling the UAE to deter aggressive behavior."
The UAE embassy in Washington, DC, confirmed the importance of the F-35 fighter deal and its role in building a safer and more stable Middle East
The embassy stated, in a statement on its website, that the deal to sell F-35 fighters to the UAE represents more than just selling military equipment to a partner
She pointed out that the matter is about achieving a more stable and secure Middle East, and that it enables the UAE to bear more of the collective security burden than the United States
In its statement, the embassy stated that the UAE needs the fifth-generation multi-role fighters. In order to protect the nation and advance the common security interests of the United States and its friends in the Middle East
She pointed out that thanks to the capabilities of the "F-35" fighter for stealth, confrontation and sensing, it offers a very important advantage over more advanced opponents, explaining that it will be an update of the "F-16" fighters that President Bill Clinton approved for the first time to be sold to the UAE in 2000
The statement indicated that the UAE sent "F-16" fighters to support many US-led counterterrorism missions, freedom of navigation, and stability in Afghanistan, Syria, and around the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula
She emphasized that the US sale of F-35 fighters to the UAE is fully consistent with the US national defense strategy, which calls for enabling partners to assume more responsibility with regard to their private and common security in the Middle East
She noted that the UAE for the first time expressed its interest in acquiring the F-35 fighter jets more than 6 years ago, and sent a formal request to the US State Department to facilitate the review process with Congress
For his part, "UAE USA United" stated that the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America share a common resolve to maintain security and stability in the Middle East and the world
In May 2019, a new defense cooperation agreement was signed between the UAE and the United States to enhance coordination and military, political and economic partnership between the two countries
In November of this year, the US State Department announced its intention to allow the sale of the F-35 Lightning II fighters and other advanced defense systems to the UAE
These advanced capabilities will enable the UAE to assume more responsibility for collective security in the Middle East, which is a major goal of the US national defense strategy