Progress on the sale slowed due to U.S. concerns.
After Abu Dhabi told Washington it would suspend talks on the deal Adds Gulf source, Israeli PM's spokeswoman, past deals December 15, the United States said on Wednesday it was ready to move forward with the sale of F-35 fighter jets and drones to the United Arab Emirates.
The deal was signed under then-President Donald Trump after the UAE forged ties with Israel last year, but progress on the sale had slowed at https: www.reuters. COM business aerospace-defense us-intends move forward - 35 sale-uae us-official- says - 2021 -- 11 - 16 amid concerns in Washington, including the Gulf Arab state's ties with China, a main trade partner.
A UAE official told Reuters on Tuesday that the UAE will suspend its discussions to acquire the F-35, citing technical requirements, sovereign operational restrictions, and cost benefit analysis. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was prepared to move forward with the sale.
We wanted to make sure that our commitment to Israel's qualitative military edge is assured, because we wanted to make sure that we could do a thorough review of any technologies sold or transferred to other partners in the region, including the UAE, according to Blinken.
The UAE had signed a deal to purchase 50 F-35 stealthy jets made by Lockheed Martin, up to 18 MQ 9 B drones and advanced munitions, sources told Reuters. Israel's prime minister this week is the middle-east israeli-pm discuss-iran bilateral issues - with-crown prince-uae -- 2021 -- 12 -- 13 Asked if the F-35 deal and Israeli qualitative military edge had come up, his spokeswoman said Israel had received no requests from Abu Dhabi on these matters.
A person briefed on the negotiations said that sticking points between the United States and the UAE revolved around how the jets can be deployed and how much of the F-35 technology the Emiratis will be allowed to take advantage of.
A Gulf source said that the Americans want to sell the Emiratis the planes but they want to tie their hands.
A source said defence deals include requirements for purchasing nations, but the restrictions in this deal made it unfeasible, because of the restrictions in the deal.
The deal dragged access to software source codes and other technology release issues until the sale went through in 2000, despite Lockheed's F- 16 Block 60 fighter jet being selected by the UAE in 1998.
Earlier this month, the Gulf state ordered 80 French-made Rafale at www.reuters. After on-off negotiations for more than a decade, com business aerospace-defense frances-macron nears-uaerale-fighter jet-deal -- 2021 -- 12 -- 03 warplanes. A UAE defence official said the Rafale deal was complementary to and not a substitute for the F-35 s.
The United States, whose security umbrella Gulf Arab states heavily rely heavily on, remains the UAE's preferred provider for advanced defense requirements, said John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman who said Washington was committed to working with Abu Dhabi to address its questions, and that the weapons sale would come up at a meeting of U.S. and UAE officials at the Pentagon this week.