Page 35 - ADT MARCH 2021 Online Magazine

accounted for nearly half of all U.S. arms exports between 2016 and
2020. During Biden’s first year at the helm, overall U.S. arms sales
went down by 21 percent in the 2021 fiscal year compared to the
previous year. Amidst the decline in weapons sales and the military
pullback, the Biden administration has been eager to reiterate its [ REPORT ]
commitment to its allies in the region

The funds the U.S. has allocated to the Middle East in the 2022
National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) isn’t markedly different
from what was set aside last year. The budget includes support
for Israel’s three missile defense systems, including US$108m for
purchasing parts for the Iron Dome short-range anti-missile system,
US$62m for the Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile system that is pro-
duced by Israel Aerospace Industries and Boeing, and US$30m
for David Sling Weapons System, jointly developed by Raytheon
and Rafael.

Months after President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. would
end support and “relevant arms sales” for Saudi Arabia’s offen-
sive operations in Yemen, the U.S. State Department approved, in
November last year, a US$650m sale of air-to-air missiles to Saudi
Arabia. Two months earlier, the U.S. announced that it would send
350 contractor technicians and two government officials to handle
the maintenance of the Saudi military’s military helicopter fleet,
including Apache and Black Hawk attack helicopters, as well as
the future fleet of Chinook transports.

Between 2016 and 2020, Beijing increased In February this year, the U.S. State Department approved
its volume of arms transfers to Saudi Arabia Washington’s latest raft of proposed weapons sales to Saudi Arabia,
and the UAE by 386 percent and 169 percent Jordan and the UAE. While Saudi Arabia would get 31 communi-
respectively, compared to 2011-2015. In 2017, cation and navigation terminals at a cost of US$23.7m to upgrade
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science its missile defense system, UAE is buying US$65m worth of spare
and Technology and China Aerospace Science parts for its Hawk, Patriot and THAAD missile defence systems.
and Technology Corp. signed a deal to jointly Jordan is slated to get 12 Lockheed Martin-built F-16C Block 70
produce China’s CH-4 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle fighter jets, radios targeting pods and associated munitions com-
(UAV) at a Saudi facility that will operate as a ponents, including guided missile tail kits.
hub for manufacturing and servicing for other
CH-4 operators in the Middle East such as The Way Forward
Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan. The UAE, which in 2011 With the U.S. and European aviation and defense sectors maturing,
imported Chinese-made Wing Loong I drones, companies in the regions have started focusing on international
became the first international customer of the growth opportunities in the Middle East and other major markets.
Wing Loong II drone in 2017. SAMI L3Harris Technologies, a joint venture between Saudi Arabian
Military Industries (SAMI) and L3 Harris Technologies, started
The second half of the last decade, however, operations in February last year and will develop advanced com-
wasn’t as good as the first for both China and munication, sensors, and integrated mission systems capabilities
Russia. China saw arms exports decrease by for Saudi Arabia’s armed security forces. The same month, SAMI
7.8 percent in 2016–20 compared to the pre- and Lockheed Martin signed an agreement to form a joint venture
vious five-year period, with complaints from that will enhance Saudi Arabia’s domestic defense and security
international customers about the lack of capabilities.
quality of its armed drones hurting sales. With
Russia’s act of aggression against Ukraine likely At the Dubai Airshow last year, UAE’s EDGE Group signed agree-
to have an adverse impact on its exports and ments with Lockheed Martin, to localize key aspects of sustainment
Chinese arms manufacturers having to deal of AH-64 Apache helicopters flown by the UAE’s Joint Aviation
with a dented reputation, the U.S. will be hoping Command, and Raytheon, for in-country development of hardware
to increase its already impressive market share. and technology supporting Raytheon’s Early Warning Radar System
(EWRS). Barzan Holdings, the commercial gateway for Qatar’s
Committed to the Region domestic defense and security industry, is also aggressively seek-
According to SIPRI, countries in the Middle East ing partnerships with major international defense firms.

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