Page 28 - ADT FEBRUARY - MARCH 2021 Online Magazine

administration’s last-minute effort to sell the arms package to the announced on August 13, 2020 that they would [ ANALYSIS ]
Emirati military. The UAE, however, hopes to get its wish fulfilled normalize relations, and particularly since they
ahead of the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence this signed the Abraham Accords. Also, after the
year. “The UAE’s desire to acquire the F-35 is coherent with the U.S. assured to maintain Israel’s technological
state’s militarized nationalism and its track record of high-tech superiority in arms over its neighbours.
armament acquisitions for international branding purposes, in addi-
tion to building national pride:” according to Dr. Emma Soubrier,
a visiting scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

Air Power Upgrade
According to military observers, the United Arab Emirates Air Force
(UAEAF) operates a fleet of over 60 Dassault Mirage 2000s and
about 80 modernised Lockheed F-16E/F Desert Falcons. “Air power
development has always been a priority for the Gulf Arab states
and is increasingly evolving in line with two key ambitions: power
projection and economic diversification. The new regional context
since 2011 has presented challenges and opportunities for the
UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia and indeed pushed them to become
increasingly active and assertive on the Middle Eastern stage, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
including by deploying armed forces abroad:” Dr. Soubrier noted. issued a statement saying that Israel would
not oppose the sale of “certain weapons”
system to the UAE so long as the sales are
“THERE IS INDEED VALUE FOR ABU DHABI IN “anchored in an agreement with the United
BEING ABLE TO CLAIM THAT THE UAE COULD BE States which upgrades Israel’s qualitative mili-
THE FIRST MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRY, OTHER tary edge and guarantees its superiority in the
THAN ISRAEL, TO BE CONSIDERED A SUFFICIENTLY Middle East for the coming decades.” While
RELIABLE AND CREDIBLE MILITARY PARTNER BY announcing the proposed sale on November 10,
former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also
THE UNITED STATES TO BE ALLOWED TO PURCHASE had assured the Israeli administration that the
THE COVETED F-35:” Dr. Soubrier. proposed sale “will make the UAE even more
capable and interoperable with U.S. partners
The proposed deal was made possible after the UAE and Israel in a manner fully consistent with America’s

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