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longstanding commitment to ensuring Israel’s However, the sale of the F-35 to the UAE is not sans its controversy.
qualitative military edge.” The air power procurement in the Gulf will have notable impacts on
the global arms trade and the power dynamics associated with it.
Because of the qualitative military edge restric- The proposed sale of F-35 is likely to upset the balance of power
tion, the Lockheed Martin-made F-35 was so and provoke an arms race in a volatile region. In fact, the Defense [ ANALYSIS ]
far denied to Arab states, while Israel has Security Cooperation Agency had notified that “the proposed sale
25 of these aircraft and, under several deals of this equipment and support represents a significant increase in
with the U.S., is expected to receive 50 jets capability and will alter the regional military balance.”
through 2024. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have
also expressed interest in these aircraft. Turkey With Washington warning that Iran could buy high-end non-stealth
had been a partner in developing the F-35 but fighters such as Russia's Su-30SM and China's J-10, and Tehran’s
was expelled from the programme after con- interest in Russia's S-400 air-defence system, there could be a spur
cerns relating to Ankara’s history as a client of in regional demand for the stealth fighter jet. “What we risk doing
Russia for acquiring the S-400 Triumf anti-air- here is fueling an arms race. Today we may be selling the F-35s
craft missile system. The F-35 is an upgrade to and the MQ-9s to the UAE, but the Saudis are going to want it, the
the US-supplied F-16 that President Bill Clinton Qataris have already requested it, and it just fuels Iran's interest
first approved for sale to the UAE in 2000. in continuing to build up its own military programming:” Democrat
The UAE has deployed the F-16 in support Senator Chris Murphy, who opposed the Trump administration’s
of multiple US-led counterterrorism, freedom proposed arms sales to the UAE, said.
of navigation, and stabilisation missions in
Afghanistan, Syria and around the Arabian Gulf The UAE’s alleged war crimes in Libya, as well as its oversight of
and Peninsula. torture facilities in Yemen, have raised ethical challenges to the
proposed deal and international human rights groups have called
Power Dynamics for a halt to the planned sale. “The United States must resolutely
From the perspective of the U.S., a F-35 deal refrain from supplying weapons that could be used in the conflict
with the UAE presents opportunities in deterring and not transfer weaponry to the UAE, or risk complicity in likely
Iran’s more aggressive military posture in the war crimes in Yemen,” Philippe Nassif, the advocacy director for
Persian Gulf since Washington unilaterally the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International USA,
withdrew from the joint comprehensive plan of has warned. The country’s tightening relationship with Russia and
action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. As Pompeo said: China has provided further grounds for criticism, as critics drew a
“This (the proposed deal) is in recognition of parallel with Turkey.
our deepening relationship and the UAE’s need
for advanced defence capabilities to deter and Pompeo has been sued by an independent New York policy
defend itself against heightened threats from research group seeking to block the deal. The New York Center
Iran.” The US intelligence community estimates for Foreign Policy Affairs (NYCFPA) said in a complaint in federal
that Tehran’s missiles are likely to keep growing court in Washington that Pompeo, who led the State Department’s
in both power and technical sophistication, thus authorization of government-to-government arms sales, “rushed”
creating new strategic challenges for the UAE, the deal without proper oversight or justification.
the U.S., Israel and other partners.
Other Considerations
“The Emirati Air Force is the most combat-ready “The UAE’s evident relations with China and Russia will put our
air component in the Middle East, with excep- military intelligence advantage at risk if such a deal is approved.
tional aircraft own by combat-experienced
pilots who maintain their skills together with
US Air Force elements at Al Dhafra’s challeng-
ing Gulf Air Warfare Training Center. When I
was the Commander of US Central Command,
I assessed that, if necessary, the Emirati Air
Force could more than take on the Iranian
Air Force if augmented with AWACS and air
refuelling. I maintain that assessment, and the
addition of F-35s will help the UAE maintain its
capability relative to that of Iran. Given that, and
given Israel’s support for Emirati acquisition of
the F-35, U.S. approval of that purchase is both
advisable and timely:” General David Petraeus
US Army (Retd.), former Commander of the
Surge in Iraq, US Central Command.

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