The UAE and other Arab monarchies have always been military protégés of the United Kingdom, the US and more recently Israel. How can one rate their war-making capability when they have never waged a war outside the sponsorship of their Western chaperones. Not to forget the Saudi Arabian-led intervention (KSA ,UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Senegal) against a handful of Houthis in Yemen which had shown the quite astounding military failure of these armies.Trump administration has formally informed the United States Congress of its intention to sell dozens of F-35 advanced fighter jets and other military hardware to the United Arab Emirates
View attachment 6100
The Trump administration has formally informed the United States Congress of its intention to sell dozens of F-35 advanced fighter jets and other military hardware to the United Arab Emirates, the Washington Post reported Monday.
The deal for the UAE to acquire the stealth F-35s has raised concerns in Israel that it would erode the country’s regional military edge, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drawing criticism for allegedly authorizing it in the context of Israel’s normalization with Abu Dhabi.
The package will include 50 F-35 jets, as well as 18 Reaper drones and thousands of bombs and missiles, according to the report.
If US lawmakers oppose the deal they have 30 days to produce a resolution to block the sale, though two-thirds of Congress would be needed to override a presidential veto.
Informal notification of the deal had been given to the Congress last month.
Reports of the US intention to sell F-35s to Abu Dhabi began to surface in August, days after the UAE agreed to normalize ties with Israel following negotiations brokered by the White House. It came as a shock in Israel, particularly to the country’s security establishment, which Netanyahu had excluded from the negotiations with Abu Dhabi.
Until then, the US had rejected requests from countries in the Middle East to purchase the F-35 primarily out of concerns that such sales would damage Israel’s qualitative military edge, or QME, which the United States is legally required to ensure remains intact despite any American arms sales in the region.
US President Donald Trump, center, with from left, Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump, and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, during the Abraham Accords signing ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, September 15, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The prime minister has repeatedly denied that he gave approval for the sale of the F-35, as well as advanced unmanned aerial vehicles and other weapons, as part of the UAE deal, or that there were secret negotiations to that effect. This has been publicly questioned by Defense Minister Benny Gantz and outright disputed by opposition party members.
At a meeting Monday of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to discuss the arms deal, committee member Nitzan Horowitz, the Meretz party leader, accused Netanyahu of knowing all along that the F-35 would be provided to the UAE.
“Netanyahu and his people knew and they also knew, before it was signed, that the plane deal was a central part of the [normalization agreement]. They just lied in order to bypass the defense establishment and prevent possible opposition,” Horowitz said.
In light of the proposed weapons sales to the UAE, Gantz traveled to Washington twice and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper came to Israel once in the span of just over a month in order to lay out the general framework for a way in which the US would ensure Israel’s military advantage.
US and Israeli officials have asserted the F-35 sale was not directly tied to normalization, but Trump officials have acknowledged that the deal with Israel placed the UAE in a better position to purchase the advanced aircraft, which only Israel has in the Middle East.
Netanyahu initially voiced opposition to the sale, but last month reversed his position, issuing a statement saying Israel would not oppose US plans to provide “certain weapon systems” to the UAE.
Days later the White House informally notified Congress of the proposed sale.
Just curious. Why does the Jordanian Sheik Abdullah wear a military uniform in the photo above ? Does he fight, and who is he fighting ?UAE-Jordanian army exercises
Turkey's enemies are probably more the Arab sheikdoms, peons of Israel, like the UAE and KSA, than is Greece.Yeah I wouldn't be suprised when Greece can acquire some f-35 which would put us on a disadvantage
"USA gets ready to sell 50 F-35s to UAE": That will never happen. Trump was not in his right mind, and now he is gone for good. Doing so is like letting a 5 year old child fly a Boeing Jumbo Jet.
Damn its 50, I would of thought max 20 but this can give Turkey some real headache
The UAE puts in the big money and all is handled by Foreign technical elites, no Emiratis involved in such efforts whatsoever.UAE launches Falcon’s Eye satellite into space
Falcon’s Eye with both the civil and military importance is fourth reconnaissance satellite launched by UAE and marks Gulf state’s 49th National Day.
Falcon's Eye will reinforce the UAE’s accumulated experience in the satellite sector
FRENCH GUIANA - The United Arab Emirates launched Wednesday the satellite Falcon's Eye into space from the French Guiana Space Centre, in South America to mark its 49th National Day.
The Soyuz ST-A rocket lifted off from the launch complex in French Guiana and the earth-observation satellite separated 58 minutes after burns by the Fregat upper stage.
Equipped with a High-Resolution Imager, the 1190 kg satellite is the fourth reconnaissance satellite launched by the UAE, bringing the total number to 12 satellites into orbit.
The data it transmits back to the ground control station will be used for mapping, agricultural monitoring, urban planning and monitoring changes in the environment, helping with response planning for natural disasters, and monitoring the UAE's borders and coasts.
Fitted with an earth-observation payload, with very-high-resolution optical capabilities, the satellite will remain in Low Earth Orbit for 10 years taking high quality imagery of the ground below to relay to the ground control station.
The project began five years ago and implemented by many experienced engineers and technicians from the UAE Armed Forces specialising in mega project management and military and space systems who were joined by foreign experts.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense Matar Salem Ali Al Dhaheri said that the UAE’s success in launching the satellite, is a unique achievement, proving that it has the necessary capacities to become an inspiring example of creating hope for others.
Dhaheri stressed the Falcon's Eye reflects the desire to achieve excellence that differentiates the UAE from other countries thanks to the visionary vision of its leadership, to engage in specialist sectors that were previously exclusive to advanced countries, most notably the space and satellite sector.
"This national achievement is worthy of pride not only given the civil and military importance of Falcon's Eye, but also because it has unique characteristics, including a mobile platform for receiving and sending photos from any location in the world that will be used for various purposes, such as map surveys, civil planning and preventing natural disasters.
"Falcon's Eye will reinforce the UAE’s accumulated experience in the satellite sector, especially after a series of consecutive successes in this field," he added.
Lieutenant General Khalifa Thani Al-Rumaithi, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Falcon's Eye, said that the National Space Programme aims to achieve excellence, as part of the country’s development experience.
“The satellite’s team are all Emirati citizens aged between 27 and 28, a fact which confirms the country has the human, knowledge and technology resources that will make it an example to follow for the space sector development, most notably following the launch of the Hope Probe, the first Emirati mission to discover Mars, which is set to arrive in the red planet in 2021, coinciding with the country’s Golden Jubilee,” said Rumaithi.
UAE launches Falcon’s Eye satellite into space | MEO
middle-east-online.com
I am curious about the nationalities of the pilots flying UAE Jet Fighters. Do the UAE have Emirati nationals capable of flying such sophisticated equipment ? I read that the UAE hires many Australian, French and American retired pilots to fly the planes in the UAE Airforce. Mike Hindmarsh, a former senior Australian army officer is publicly listed as commander of the UAE’s Presidential Guard. Another Australian citizen is the commander of an elite UAE military force who had been deployed in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition, which human rights groups accuse of war crimes.I hope they don't but they may stil get these aircrafts, most likely they will.
No, Pakistanis with firsthand knowledge about the UAE air force say that it is almost all Emirati Arab nationals except some foreign trainers but they will be gone soon.I am curious about the nationalities of the pilots flying UAE Jet Fighters. Do the UAE have Emirati nationals capable of flying such sophisticated equipment ? I read that the UAE hires many Australian, French and American retired pilots to fly the planes in the UAE Airforce. Mike Hindmarsh, a former senior Australian army officer is publicly listed as commander of the UAE’s Presidential Guard. Another Australian citizen is the commander of an elite UAE military force who had been deployed in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition, which human rights groups accuse of war crimes.
I thought the Chinese wouldn't sell the J-20 to anyone. It may be possible for the Americans to access it.China offer the J-20 to the UAE, in Case the US will not deliver the F-35. For me this mean the Pressure on the US will increase to deliver the F-35, in other Way China can gain Foothold in the Gulf and can provide modern Fighters also to other Gulf and arabian States.
China Offers the J-20 Fighter as an Alternative to F-35 | TURDEF
China offers the Chengdu J-20 to the United Arab Emirates as an alternative to the F-35 if the U.S. does not respond clearly.turdef.com