The United States State Department has actually authorized the sale of 8 MQ-9B Predator drones and a big plan of bombs and rockets to Qatar in an offer valued at almost $2 billion. The approval, revealed Thursday, follows years of hold-ups.
The proposed sale should now go through Congress, where legislators have the authority to examine or obstruct such deals.
” This suggested sale will support the diplomacy and nationwide security goals of the United States by assisting to enhance the security of a friendly nation that continues to be an essential force for political stability and financial development in the Middle East,” the United States Defense Security Cooperation Company stated in a declaration. Qatar has actually long worked as an intermediary for Washington in transactions with the Taliban, Iran, and Hamas.
The offer consists of 200 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, 300 500-pound general-purpose bombs, 110 Hellfire II rockets, Seaspray 7500 maritime radars, and SAGE Electronic Assistance Procedure systems from Leonardo. The drones, which cost around $30 million each, can fly at elevations above 40,000 feet for over 30 hours and have actually been utilized by United States forces in disputes throughout the Middle East.
Qatar is the second-largest purchaser of United States military devices after Saudi Arabia and has actually formerly obtained F-15 fighter jets, Apache helicopters, and rocket defense systems from the United States. It likewise runs Turkish-made TB2 drones from the Dukhan/Tamim Air Base.