Page 9 - ADT FEBRUARY - MARCH 2021 Online Magazine

Changing In the final days of former President Donald [ REPORT ]
Trump’s term, the U.S. State Department
approved a US$290 million sale of 3,000 pre-
cision guided munitions to Saudi Arabia. The
proposed package included 3,000 Boeing-
Landscape made GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb I (SDB
I) munitions, containers, support equipment,
spares and technical support. Days after he
took over, Biden acted on his election promise
that he would halt arms sales to the country if
he won the election.

An hour before Biden was sworn into office, the
WHILE ITALY HAS STOPPED ALL WEAPONS UAE officially signed an agreement worth US$
SALES TO SAUDI ARABIA AND THE UAE, THE U.S. 23 billion with the U.S. to purchase the most
IS SET TO RESTRICT THE SALE OF OFFENSIVE classified American weapons systems ever sold
WEAPONS TO COUNTRIES IN THE REGION to Arab allies - 50 F-35 jets, up to 18 MQ-9B
armed unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and
precision-guided bombs. The proposed sale is
Arun Sivasankaran currently under review. With pressure mounting
for a de-escalation and demilitarization of the
activities of the U.S., the UAE and other key
With U.S. President Joe Biden announcing an end to US support for players in the region to resolve ongoing con-
Saudi-led offensive operations in Yemen and the State department flicts in Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and Syria, it is
temporarily halting U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia in addition to unlikely that the proposed sale will go ahead
scrutinising purchases by the United Arab Emirates, the message without major modifications.
for U.S. defence contractors is clear: Focus on sale of defensive
weapons in the region rather than pushing the sale of offensive A New Direction
ones. At least one of the U.S. weapons-makers saw

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