The US government has cleared more than $16.5 billion in potential weapons sales to countries in the Middle East, including air-launched weapons for the United Arab Emirates.
The approved sales to Kuwait, Jordan and the UAE come as the US and Israel continue their air campaign against Iran. Tehran, for its part, has responded with drone and missile strikes against US partners in the region, disrupting air traffic and constraining oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
The UAE has been cleared to buy 400 AIM-120C-7 or AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), along with related equipment and services, for $1.22 billion, according to the US Department of State.
A separate approval covers $644 million in air-to-ground munitions for the UAE’s F-16s. Key elements include 1,500 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs and 1,200 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits.
The State Department also lists two additional potential sales to the UAE: a $2.1 billion counter-unmanned aerial systems package and a $4.5 billion long-range discrimination radar that can be integrated with the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system it already operates.
“This proposed sale will improve the United Arab Emirates’ capability to meet current and future threats in the region by expanding the defended area to 360 degrees, benefiting the US and its partners,” according to a State Department notice.
Kuwait, for its part, was cleared for a possible $8 billion sale centred on five Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensors, a Raytheon system intended to replace the AN/MPQ-65 radar used in the Patriot surface-to-air missile system.
Finally, Jordan was cleared for a $71 million sale covering aircraft and munitions support, modifying a previous $49.1 million case. The sale aims to improve the operational readiness of Jordan’s C-130 tactical transports, F-16s, and Northrop F-5s.
