US Congress allows F-35 sale granting UAE major military upgrade

UAE will be the first Arab country to obtain the stealth fighters after clearing key vote

A bill that would have blocked a $23 billion arms sale to the UAE failed in the US Senate on Wednesday, thereby granting the country 50 F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

The vote on the bill proposed by Bob Menendez, a Democratic senator, flopped by 47 to 49.

With the congressional hurdle cleared, the UAE will become the first Arab country to obtain the stealth fighters and the second country in the region after Israel.

Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the F-35 is America's next-generation stealth fighter jet. Reuters

The UAE ambassador to the US and Minister of State Yousef Al Otaiba thanked the Senate.

“The UAE deeply appreciates the consideration of all senators on today’s votes," Mr Al Otaiba said.

"Continued US support enables the UAE to take on more of the burden for our collective security – ours, yours and our partners. It makes us all safer.”

He said that the UAE was “committed to regional de-escalation and dialogue".

“We look forward to deepening our 49-year relationship with the US as we work together on pressing challenges like global health, climate, the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and regional conflicts,” Mr Al Otaiba said.

The sale of 50 of these jets is valued at $10.4bn and has long been sought by the UAE. But it was the signing of the Abraham Accord in September that brought the sale to a conclusion.

Israeli officials, including ambassador to the US Ron Dermer, went on the record to defend the sale this week.

“Israel is very comfortable with the sale of F-35 planes to the United Arab Emirates," Mr Dermer told MSNBC alongside Mr Al Otaiba.

"What keeps me up at night isn’t the sale of the F-35 to the UAE. It’s the idea that someone would return to the nuclear deal with Iran."

Last October, Mr Al Otaiba told The National  that the country had been trying to acquire the F-35 for years, and while progress on the sale was tied to the Abraham Accord, it was not a result of it.

“There are other items that we’ve been trying to acquire since [US president George W Bush] was in office," he said.

"So, these are things that we have operational requirements for that have simply been held up, largely because of either [Israel’s] qualitative military edge or other release ability issues.

"We have now, I think, cleared this bottleneck."

US President Donald Trump supported the move.

“I would have no problem in selling them the F-35, I would have absolutely no problem,” Mr Trump told Fox News in November.

On Wednesday, the White House threatened to veto any bill in Congress blocking the sale.

But with the vote falling short, the UAE is now expected to start technical negotiations with the US to finalise the deal.

The US Department of Defence agreed with Lockheed Martin to build about 375 F-35 fighter jets over three years. This Pentagon-supplied photo shows a US Air Force F-35 Lightning II being refuelled over Poland in February 2022.

A Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning jet at the ILA Berlin Air Show 2022 in Schoenefeld, Germany, 22 June 2022. EPA

A Lockheed Martin F-35C Joint Strike Fighter is shown on the deck of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier. Reuters

An Israeli Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jet performing at the Hatzerim base in the Negev desert, near the southern city of Beer Sheva, Israel. AFP

A US F-35 fighter jet flies over the Eifel Mountains near Spangdahlem, Germany on February 23, 2022. AP

F-35C Lightning IIs on a test flight in the Atlantic test range. The programme is now the most expensive in US military history. Lockheed has pledged to cut costs. AFP

Lockheed Martin's F-35 helped the company boost profit in the first quarter. Reuters

Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the F-35 is America's next-generation stealth fighter jet. Reuters

Three F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron taxi after landing at Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE. Photo: US Air Force

A Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jet on a training mission in Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Bloomberg

An RAF F-35B Lightning 11 supersonic stealth strike fighter, built by the US plane maker Lockheed Martin, touches down in the UK. Getty

An F-35 Lightning II, built by Lockheed Martin, at the Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas. AFP

A US F-35A stealth fighter jet at an unspecified location. EPA

A formation of US Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jets perform aerial maneuvers during as part of a combat power exercise. Reuters

A US F-35A fighter jet prepares to land at Chungju Air Base in Chungju, South Korea. AP