UAE has no plans to re-open talks with US over F-35 fighter jets
Dubai: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) does not expect to resume talks with the US regarding a multi-billion dollar deal to acquire F-35 fighter jets, irrespective of who wins the upcoming US presidential election in November, a senior UAE government official said.
A leading media outlet reported on Friday that the UAE was planning to resume negotiations to purchase F-35s and armed drones if Donald Trump wins a second presidential term, according to several people familiar with the matter.
Trump had signed off on a deal to allow the purchase to go ahead in the final days of his presidency in 2021, but the UAE suspended talks at the end of that year, unable to agree terms with the current Biden administration.
The UAE has long sought the most advanced fighter jet, built with stealth technology allowing it to evade enemy detection.
If the US did approve the transfer, the UAE would be only the second Middle East state, after Israel, to operate F-35s.
The UAE official said on Saturday the same factors that caused it to suspend the talks in 2021 have not changed and the government does not plan to re-open negotiations.
“Technical requirements, sovereign operational restrictions and cost/benefit analysis led to the reassessment at that time, and those considerations underpin our ongoing position.”
The official did not comment on the possibility of fresh talks to purchase armed drones.