Intel: Trump administration to propose $3 billion drone sale to UAE
Nov 6, 2020
The Trump administration has informally notified Congress of its intent to sell some $2.9 worth of potentially armed MQ-9B Reaper drones to the United Arab Emirates. The proposed sale, reported by Reuters, would include maritime radar.
Why it matters: The notification comes a week after the State Department informally notified Congress of a plan to sell dozens of advanced F-35 fighter aircraft to the UAE, a move administration officials have said was enabled by the Emirates’ normalization of ties with Israel.
The United States has been barred for years from selling certain types of armed projectiles abroad under the international Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). President Donald Trump altered the US government’s interpretation of the 34-nation agreement in July to allow US armed drones to be transferred abroad.
The United States is seeking to fill Gulf states’ demand for armed unmanned UAVs, and Abu Dhabi is a top prospective buyer. The UAE and Saudi Arabia’s drones have been largely supplied by Beijing, which is not a party to the MTCR.
On Tuesday, Congress was formally notified of a plan to sell four MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones to Taiwan.