26 Aug 2020, 06:55
15 Sep 2020, 16:27
Trump: ‘No problem’ selling F-35 jets to UAE
15 Sep 2020 Joe Gould
"WASHINGTON ― U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he personally would have “no problem” selling the advanced F-35 fighter jet to the United Arab Emirates, despite objections from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I would have no problem in selling them the F-35, I would have absolutely no problem,” Trump told Fox News in an interview ahead of a signing ceremony at the White House for agreements normalizing relations between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain later on Tuesday.
Trump also said he would be willing to sell other Middle Eastern countries the same weapons systems sold to Israel. He noted the region’s wealth and said it would be good for the United States and American jobs. “They’re very wealthy countries for the most part, like the UAE, and they would like to buy the fighter jets, and I personally would have no problem with it,” Trump said. “Some people do, they say maybe they go to war.”
Trump affirmed that his strategy is to forge pacts with other Mideastern nations in an effort to push the Palestinians toward negotiating a peace deal with Israel. Even though Trump favors the sales, there’s no guarantee they would happen. The F-35 sale, a longtime request from Abu Dhabi, is not written into the UAE-Israel deal, Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash told reporters Monday...."
Source: https://www.defensenews.com/congress/20 ... 35-to-uae/
16 Sep 2020, 03:17
23 Sep 2020, 01:24
Exclusive: U.S. eyes December agreement on F-35 jets with UAE - sources
22 Sep 2020 Mike Stone
"...Sources familiar with the negotiations said a working idea was for Israeli air defenses to be able to detect the UAE F-35s with technology that effectively defeats the stealth capabilities of the jets.
F-35 fighter jets sold to the United Arab Emirates could also be built in a way that ensures the same planes owned by Israel outperform any others sold in the region, defense experts say.
Washington already demands that any F-35 sold to foreign governments cannot match the performance of U.S. jets, said both a congressional staffer and a source familiar with past sales.
The F-35’s technical sophistication is tied to its mission systems and processing power and “it’s the computing power that allows you to sell a higher tech jet to Israel than to the UAE,” said Doug Birkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in Washington.
“When foreign pilots are in training in the U.S. they type a code into a user interface as they board the jet, the code will pull a different jet for each pilot based on legal permissions,” Birkey said...."
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-isra ... SKCN26D19T
23 Sep 2020, 03:34
Amidst F-35 to UAE rumors, Esper pledges to support Israeli edge
22 Sep 2020 Aaron Mehta
"WASHINGTON — Amidst expectations that the U.S. will sell F-35 joint strike fighters to the United Arab Emirates, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Tuesday reaffirmed his commitment to maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge.
“The defense relationship between the United States and Israel has never been stronger. We intend to keep it that way,” Esper said in pooled comments ahead of a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz.
“I do want to say upfront for everyone that a cornerstone of our defense relationship is preserving Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region,” Esper added. “The United States is committed to that and the Department of Defense is committed to that imperative. We will continue to support the longstanding U.S. policy to maintain Israel’s security.”
Israel’s QME is a congressionally mandated rule that, in essence, says Israel needs to maintain a military technology edge over its neighbors. The rationale for the language is that Israel, as a small nation surrounded by hostile states, needs an extra edge from its U.S. partner to survive. In essence, this has meant certain high-end weapons will not be allowed to be sold to states in the region, most notably Saudi Arabia and the UAE....
...In 2017, regional sources told Defense News the UAE was eyeing a buy of 24 F-35s; it is unclear if that number is still in play now. The UAE is looking to replace its 67-aircraft Mirage 2000 fleet...."
Source: https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/20 ... aeli-edge/
25 Sep 2020, 03:28
"...Last month, Breaking Defense reported that Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu secretly approved the sale before normalization of relations with the UAE was announced." https://breakingdefense.com/2020/09/sen ... ouse-push/
Top US lawmakers voice support for Israel’s military edge amid F-35 sale
24 Sep 2020 Joe Gould
"WASHINGTON ― Top Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders Thursday invoked Israel’s qualitative military edge, signaling a complex path for a possible U.S. sale of F-35 joint strike fighters to the United Arab Emirates. At a hearing focused on Mideast issues, Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and ranking member Bob Menendez, D-N.J., highlighted their concerns to State Department officials over the possible deal. The two senators are key congressional gatekeepers on U.S. arms sales.
Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale, in response, said the State Department and Pentagon would vet any sale and “consult with the Israelis,” as well as Congress, before proceeding. “With all due respect, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist," Menendez said, “to figure out that if Israel’s the only country in the Middle East that has F-35s, that selling it to someone else no longer produces that qualitative military edge in the air.”
Israel is concerned the possible sale, which has been discussed along with a U.S.-brokered peace deal between the Jewish state and the UAE, would undermine Israel’s QME in the Middle East, which the U.S., under its own laws, must preserve. Reuters reported this week that the U.S. and UAE hope to have an initial agreement on the sale in place by December.... [then lots of hot air stuff]
...President Donald Trump’s senior adviser Jared Kushner’s secret push to sell the F-35 and other advanced arms has caused confusion and frustration among agencies and congressional committees that would normally be involved in such a sale but have been left in the dark, CNN reported last month. The arms sale talks have reportedly been led by the National Security Council’s senior director for the Middle East, Miguel Correa.
During questioning, Hale assured Menendez that any deal would follow a normal process. However, he could not directly answer some basic questions about the potential for F-35 sales. Asked whether the F-35 was under discussion, Hale said talks were ongoing about the UAE’s “security needs.” He said he was unaware whether the UAE had indicated a preferred timeline and a number of F-35s, or whether it had sent a letter of request ― a step that would begin the formal arms sale process. Asked what specific threats the F-35 would answer, Hale said, “it’s important that above all, we preserve Israel’s QME but also meet the legitimate defense needs of our partners in the Gulf.”..." [then lots more about QME etc.]
Source: https://www.defensenews.com/congress/20 ... f-35-sale/
10 Oct 2020, 09:49
not much care taken in this one....Will Trump sell F-35s to the UAE? Congress wants him to show his work.
09 Oct 2020 Joe Gould
"...How would the administration ensure the F-35′s sensitive technology isn’t threatened by the UAE’s ties to China (which sold it Wing Loong drones) and Russia (which is selling it the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter, the Pantsir S-1 missile defense system and the Kornet-E anti-tank missile system)? Has the UAE agreed to terminate cooperation and purchases with Russia and China in exchange for the F-35?
Warning that “U.S. national security and the safety of American troops could be seriously compromised by this sale,” they [letter Friday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I.] said the administration’s “breakneck speed” toward a deal “seems more tied to the political calendar than a sober deliberation about regional security.”
The F-35 program has grown to eight partner nations and six Foreign Military Sales customers. “Have you, or will you,” the lawmakers wanted to know, “consult with our partners about these risks and their views of this potential sale to the UAE concluding the sale?”...
...Reuters reported that the U.S government is studying ways to make the F-35 more visible to Israeli radar systems. A working idea was for Israeli air defenses to be able to detect UAE-operated F-35s with technology that effectively defeats the stealth capabilities of the jets. If the aircraft would be reduced in their capabilities, the lawmakers want to know precisely how, with “a detailed written and graphic comparison.”... [everyone would want the Israeli secret radar don'cha know - seems to be a preposterous idea for UAE to go for that restriction]
...While many of the headlines surrounding the sale have focused on Israel’s QME, the UAE’s connections to Russia and China also present the Trump administration with serious questions. It’s unlikely that Abu Dhabi, which has developed those ties as a strategic hedge against its relationship with Washington, would give them up, said Samuel Ramani, a Mideast researcher at Oxford University...."
Source: https://www.defensenews.com/congress/20 ... -his-work/
21 Oct 2020, 20:44
Lawmakers take steps to slow down sale of F-35s to UAE [BEST READ AT SOURCE FOR MORE DETAILS]
21 Oct 2020 Valerie Insinna
"WASHINGTON— Two Senate Democrats are hoping to slow roll the potential sale of the F-35 joint strike fighter to the United Arab Emirates, introducing on Oct. 20 legislation that would block the delivery of aircraft to Abu Dhabi unless the U.S. government meets certain criteria.
If adopted, the “Secure F-35 Exports Act of 2020” could have far-reaching impact on future sales of the Lockheed Martin fighter jet to other nations in the Middle East. The bill would require the White House to provide a report detailing the technical risks of selling the F-35 to any country that is not a NATO member or Japan, South Korea, Israel, Australia, New Zealand [GASP!].
For F-35 sales to Middle Eastern nations, the White House must also certify at multiple points during the sales process that the deal does not impede on Israel’s qualitative military edge and that the country meets certain criteria regarding human rights....
...It is unclear whether the legislation would apply to the pending sale of aircraft to Singapore, which was approved to purchase four F-35Bs earlier this year. Switzerland and Finland are also considering procuring the F-35, and as non-NATO countries would be subject to the reporting requirements if the bill is passed.
The U.S. government would likely be able to speed F-35 sales to Europe and the Asia-Pacific quickly through the bureaucratic hurdles posed by the legislation. However, the bill creates more difficult roadblocks for purchases by the Middle East — an emerging and mostly untapped market for the F-35.
At the start of the sales process, the U.S. president would need to certify that deals involving a Middle Eastern country wouldn’t compromise Israel’s QME, that the jets wouldn’t be used against Israel, that measures have been taken to protect the F-35 from espionage and that — should the customer nation violate one of those terms — the United States has the means to address that violation....
...The president must also certify that a Middle Eastern country has not acquired foreign technology to compromise the technology of such aircraft — particularly Russian or Chinese equipment. This is to prevent a situation similar to Turkey’s ouster from the F-35 program after it purchased the S-400 air defense system from Russia...."
Source: https://www.defensenews.com/congress/20 ... 5s-to-uae/
23 Oct 2020, 20:37
Israel drops objection to US sale of ‘certain’ arms to UAE
23 Oct 2020 Joseph Krauss
"JERUSALEM — Israel said Friday it will not oppose the U.S. sale of “certain weapon systems” to the United Arab Emirates following an agreement with Washington to upgrade its own capabilities to preserve its military edge in the Middle East.
The statement, released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, did not specifically identify weapons systems, it but appeared to refer to the possible sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets, which the UAE hopes to obtain following its agreement to normalize ties with Israel.
Gantz’s office declined to elaborate on the statement, which was released late Friday in Israel, when the country is largely shut down for the Jewish Sabbath. There was no immediate comment from the Pentagon. President Donald Trump, at White House announcement of normalized ties between Israel and Sudan, confirmed that the F-35 talks were underway....
...
The Israeli statement said Gantz reached “understandings” with the Pentagon during a visit to Washington this week that “will allow the procurement of advanced weapon systems that will significantly upgrade Israel’s military capabilities, maintain its security and its military advantage in the region as well as its qualitative military edge in the coming decades.”
It said Gantz was “notified by the US administration of its plans to notify Congress of its intention to provide certain weapon systems to the UAE.” “The Prime Minister and the Defense Minister both agree that since the US is upgrading Israel’s military capability and is maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge, Israel will not oppose the sale of these systems to the UAE,” it said....
...Critics have accused Netanyahu of lying over a key element that is believed to have clinched the deal for the UAE. Gantz, a political rival who formed a fractious coalition government with Netanyahu last spring, said he was kept in the dark about the UAE deal until the last minute. Netanyahu said in a statement late Friday that the discussion of arms sales only began after the normalization accords were concluded and that he did not object because the U.S. agreed to upgrade Israel’s own capabilities."
Source: https://www.defensenews.com/global/mide ... ms-to-uae/
27 Oct 2020, 11:46
28 Oct 2020, 03:20
Israel-UAE Normalization Takes Big Leaps; Process Remains Fragile
27 Oct 2020 Riad Kahwaji
"As the UAE and Israel make big progress in normalizing relations, analysts warn of actions that include obstructing the sale of the F-35 fighters to the UAE, that could derail the entire Abraham Accords, which might change the region's political landscape
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel are making greater strides at normalizing relations more quickly than many had expected, and the scale of progress already dwarfs the size of the very limited normalization reached between Egypt and Israel — even though they signed their peace treaty in 1979.
As soon as the UAE-Israeli treaty was ratified, both states embarked on swift moves of implementation that included major steps such as lifting entry visa requirements on nationals of both countries, running regular commercial flights between the two states, and creating a joint investment fund. There are even reports of plans for a highway and train-track linking both countries and an oil pipeline from the UAE to Israel.
However, experts warn this whole process could be derailed quickly if Israeli partisan power politics leads to attempts to infringe on UAE sovereignty or to obstruct the sale of F-35 warplanes by the US to the UAE. The UAE signed its peace treaty with Israel on September 15, thus leading the way in a U.S.-brokered process known as the Abraham Accords, which has so far seen one other Arab country, Bahrain, come on board, and another one, Sudan, commit to signing a normalization peace pact with Israel....
...“If Israel tries in the future, whether directly, or indirectly, through its strong lobby in the U.S. to torpedo the F-35 deal, the UAE will very likely react negatively in a way that would hinder the normalization process,” added Abdullah [Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, a professor of political science from the UAE]. The UAE opened the door for the Abraham Accords, and any setback on its side would likely affect normalization tracks in other countries.
The UAE has already submitted a formal request to the U.S. government to purchase 24 F-35 fifth generation stealth fighters. The Trump Administration has sounded an initial approval to the deal but it still has to gain approvals of many branches of the U.S. government, including Congress. UAE sources expect the administration to fast-track the process to gain Senate approval before end of the year.
After the Israeli media and officials showed mixed feelings about the UAE F-35 deal, the government came out later to express “no objection.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyaho and his coalition partner, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, have stated on October 23 that Israel will not oppose the U.S. sale of “specific weapon systems” to the UAE, in an apparent reference to the F-35 fighters...."
Source: https://breakingdefense.com/2020/10/isr ... s-fragile/
30 Oct 2020, 05:15
UAE could get up to 50 F-35s in $10B sale
29 Oct 2020 Joe Gould, Aaron Mehta & Valerie Insinna
"WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department is backing the sale of as many as 50 F-35 joint strike fighters to the United Arab Emirates in an arms deal worth an estimated $10.4 billion, according to multiple reports.
The news came as the Trump administration informally briefed Congress on its plan to sell the advanced F-35 fighter to the United Arab Emirates Thursday. It follows weeks of speculation and behind-the-scenes debates about how to structure an F-35 deal with the UAE without cutting into Israel’s qualitative military edge...." [then lots of yadayadayada youse heard before]
Source: https://www.defensenews.com/2020/10/29/ ... -10b-sale/
10 Nov 2020, 19:52
US State Dept. approves UAE’s purchase of F-35 jets, MQ-9 drones
10 Nov 2020 Aaron Mehta
"WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department on Tuesday cleared a massive package of F-35 fighter jets and MQ-9 unmanned systems for the United Arab Emirates, making official a potential sale still opposed by many congressional Democrats.
In a statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the package, which comes with an estimated price tag of $23.37 billion, includes up to 50 F-35s worth $10.4 billion, 18 MQ-9Bs worth $2.97 billion, and $10 billion worth of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions....
...Potential foreign military sales notified to Congress are not guaranteed to move forward, and the quantities and dollar figures can often change during final negotiations. But even getting this far is a big win for the UAE, which has long sought the stealthy F-35; it also represents a win for the Trump administration, which has made increasing U.S. weapon exports a key part of its economic platform."
Source: https://www.defensenews.com/global/mide ... epartment/
11 Nov 2020, 01:16
fifty (50) AGM-154E Joint Stand Off Weapons – Extended Range (JSOW-ER)
11 Nov 2020, 05:25
The Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested to buy eight hundred two (802) AIM-120C8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM); sixteen (16) AIM-120C8 AMRAAM guidance sections spares; two thousand four (2,004) MK-82 500LB General Purpose (GP) Bombs; seventy-two (72) MK-82 Inert 500LB GP Bombs; one thousand (1,000) MK-84 2,000LB GP Bombs; one thousand two (1,002) MK-83 1,000LB GP Bombs; two thousand five hundred (2,500) Small Diameter Bomb Increment 1 (SDB-1), GBU-39/B, with CNU-659/E Container; eight (8) GBU-39 SDB-1 Guided Test Vehicles; two thousand (2,000) KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Tail Kit for 500LB Bombs; one thousand (1,000) KMU-556 JDAM Tail Kit for 2,000LB Bombs; one thousand (1,000) KMU-559 JDAM Tail Kit for 1,000LB Bombs; four thousand (4,000) FMU-139 Fuze systems; six hundred fifty (650) AGM-154C Joint Stand Off Weapons (JSOWs); fifty (50) AGM-154E Joint Stand Off Weapons – Extended Range (JSOW-ER); one hundred fifty (150) AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) Tactical Missiles; six (6) CATM-88 AARGM CATMs. Also included are six (6) JSOW-C AGM-154C Captive Air Training Missiles (CATMs); six (6) JSOW-ER AGM-154E CATMs; ARD 446-1B and ARD 863-1A1W Impulse Cartridges; JSOW-C Dummy Air Training Missiles (DATM); JSOW-C Captive Flight Vehicles (CFVs); JSOW-ER DATMs; JSOW-ER CFVs; PGU-23/U training ammunition, encryption devices and keying equipment for test missiles (not for export); Laser Illuminated Target Detector, DSU-38A/B; software delivery and support; AIM-120C Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM) and Airborne Instrumented Units (AIU) Telemetry Sections; missile containers; munitions components; aircraft test and integration support; containers; mission planning; munitions security, storage and training; facility design, construction and quality standards; weapon operational flight program software development; transportation; tools and test equipment; support equipment; spare and repair parts; weapons and aircraft integration support and test equipment; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment, devices and software; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; site surveys; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated cost is $10.0 billion.
The Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested to buy up to fifty (50) F-35A Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft and fifty-four (54) Pratt & Whitney F-135 Engines (up to 50 installed and 4 spares). Also included are Electronic Warfare Systems; Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Intelligence/Communications, Navigational, and Identification (C4I/CNI); Autonomic Logistics Global Support System (ALGS); Operational Data Integrated Network (ODIN); Air System Training Devices; Weapons Employment Capability and other Subsystems, Features, and Capabilities; F-35 unique chaff and infrared flares; reprogramming center access; F-35 Performance Based Logistics; software development/integration; aircraft ferry and tanker support; aircraft and munitions support and test equipment; communications equipment; provisioning, spares and repair parts; weapons repair and return support; personnel training and training equipment; weapon systems software, publications and technical documents; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The total estimated cost is $10.4 billion.
The Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested to buy up to eighteen (18) Weapons-Ready MQ-9B, Remotely Piloted Aircraft; twenty-five (25) Raytheon Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems-D (MTS-D) EO/IR Sensors; nineteen (19) Lynx AN/APY-8 Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) with Ground Moving Target Indicator (GTMI); eighteen (18) RIOTM Communication Intelligence Systems; sixty-six (66) Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigations Systems (EGI) with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Modules (SAASMs); five hundred fifteen (515) AGM-114R Hellfire Missiles; twelve (12) KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) Tail Kits for 500LB Bombs; four (4) MXU-650 Airfoil Groups for 500LB Paveway II GBU-12; seven (7) MXU-1006 Airfoil Groups for 250LB Paveway II GBU-58; eleven (11) MAU-169 or MAU-209 Computer Control Groups (CCGs) for 250LB/500LB Paveway II GBU-58/GBU-12; six (6) FMU-139 Fuse Systems; twelve (12) MK-82 General Purpose 500LB Inert Bombs; and four (4) GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) Guided Test Vehicle (GTV) Inert Practice Munitions (T-1) with Fuse. Also included are Honeywell TPE-331 turboprop engines; Certifiable Ground Control Stations (CGCS); mobile Satellite Communication Ground Data Terminals (SGDTs); Link-16 KOR-24A Small Tactical Terminals; Automatic Information System (AIS); Rohde & Schwartz UHF/VHF radios; AN/DPX-7 IFF Transponders; Satellite Communication (SATCOM) antennas and modems with USG encryption; Secure SATCOM systems; SeaSpray 7500 maritime radars; SAGE 750 Electronic Surveillance Measures System; KY-100M security voice terminals; KIV-77 Mode 5 IFF cryptographic appliques; U.S. Government Certified Encryption Solution; Rover 6i compatible systems; MQ-9B training simulator; Due Regard Radars (DRR); Electronic Warfare (EW) in-country threat library programming capability; BRU-71A bomb racks; BRU-78/A bomb racks; Hellfire missile rail kits; AN/AWM-103/B Station Stores Test Sets; Common Munitions Built-in-Test Reprogramming Equipment (CMBRE) Plus Block II; Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) mission kits, receivers, and acoustic processors; AN/SSQ-36B thermometric sonobuoys; AN/SSQ-53G passive sonobuoys; AN-SSQ-62F active sonobuoys; ASW acoustic operator workstations; weapons loading equipment; initial spare and repair parts; hard points, power, and data connections for weapons integration; DSU-38 Laser Illuminated Target Detector for GBU-54; AN/PYQ-10C Simple Key Loaders; Electronic Intelligence System; weapons integration; support and test equipment; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The overall total estimated value is $2.97 billion.
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