Dubai / Washington: United Arab Emirates have told the United States that he will suspend a discussion to acquire fighter jets F-35, said an UAE official on Tuesday, part of a $ 23 billion deal which also includes drones and other advanced ammunition.
The sale of 50 F-35 fighter aircraft made by Lockheed Martin to the UAE has slowed amid fears in Washington for Abu Dhabi’s relationship with China, including the use of Huawei 5G technology in this country.
“Technical requirements, sovereign operational restrictions, and cost / benefit analysis causes a rejuvenation,” UAE officials said in a statement to Reuters who confirmed the report on the Wall Street Journal.
“The US remains a provider of UAE preferences for advanced defense requirements and discussions for the F-35 can be reopened in the future,” the official said, added that there was a discussion to “overcome the security conditions of shared defense for the acquisition”.
Someone released on negotiations said for several months sticking to the points between the United States and UAE revolving around how hidden jets can be deployed and how much F-35 technology is sophisticated, Emiratis will be allowed to utilize.
The person asked not to be identified by the name or with associations with both countries.
The UAE has signed an agreement to buy 50 Jet F-35 and up to 18 armed drones, people who are familiar with the situation to Reuters in January.
Previously, at the Pentagon, spokesman John Kirby said US partnerships with UAE were more strategic and complex than weapons sales and Washington committed to working with Abu Dhabi to answer their questions.
“We will always insist, as a matter of legislation and legislation policies, in various final use requirements,” said Kirby.
He added that the meeting between US and UAE officials at the Pentagon this weekend was set on extensive topics but anticipating that weapons sales would appear.
Kirby referred questions about the details of sales of certain weapons to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A Department of State Officials, talked about the condition of anonymity, said that the Biden government was committed to the sale of the F-35 aircraft proposed along with MQ-9B and ammunition.
“We hope that we can work through extraordinary problems,” the official said.
Lockheed Martin Corp referred to a comment request to the US and UAE governments.
UAE, one of the nearest Middle East allies Washington, has long expressed interest in obtaining hidden F-35 jets, and promised the opportunity to buy it in a side agreement when agreed to normalize relations with Israel in August 2020.