UAE suspends discussions with US on F-35 sale over sovereignty concerns

US State Department official says Washington remains committed to sale

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

The UAE is suspending discussions with the US government to acquire F-35 fighter jets over “sovereignty operational restrictions”, an Emirati official said on Tuesday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the UAE official said discussions over the sale, part of a $23 billion deal that also includes drones and other advanced munitions, are on hold as the country reassesses requirements.

“The UAE has informed the US that it will suspend discussions to acquire the F-35,” the official said.

“Technical requirements, sovereign operational restrictions and cost-benefit analysis led to the reassessment.”

The official, however, remained cautiously optimistic before a US-UAE defence dialogue on Wednesday that these issues can be resolved at a future date.

“The UAE and the US were working towards an understanding that would address mutual defence security conditions for the acquisition. The US remains the UAE’s preferred provider for advanced defence requirements and discussions for the F-35 may be reopened in the future,” the official said.

The outstanding issue, a person with knowledge of the deal told The National, is not related to the UAE’s ties with China but rather to sovereignty matters in the deal that the UAE has raised and that the two sides are trying to resolve.

A US State Department official said President Joe Biden's administration remains committed to the sale.

“The Biden-Harris administration remains committed to the proposed sales of F-35 aircraft, the MQ-9B [drone] and munitions even as we continue consultations to ensure that we have a clear, mutual understanding of Emirati obligations and actions before, during and after delivery,” the official told The National.

“We are hopeful that we can work through any outstanding issues and we look forward to the US-UAE Joint Military Dialogue later this week.”

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby emphasised the strategic nature of the US-UAE relationship.

“The US partnership with the UAE is more strategic and more complex than any one weapons sale. We are committed to working with the UAE to address their and our questions with respect to this sale,” Mr Kirby said.

He added, however, that the US insists as a matter of statutory requirements and policy on a variety of end-user requirements.

“That's typical. And these end-user requirements and protection of US defence equipment are universal, non-negotiable and not specific to the UAE,” Mr Kirby said.

Asked if the issue will come up at Wednesday's dialogue, Mr Kirby said that is not the intent of the meeting.

“It was designed to talk about the broad scope of our defence relationship with the UAE. But I would anticipate that this would be something that we would take advantage of, the opportunity to talk with them about their concerns, as well as sharing our concerns about the sale.”

Last year, the State Department announced its intention to sell up to 50 F-35 jets to the UAE, setting the nation on its way to becoming the first Arab country to acquire one of the most advanced weapons systems ever built.

Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the F-35 is America's next-generation stealth fighter jet. The sale of these 50 jets is valued at $10.4bn.