USA discussing F-35 sale to UAE

[Flyingmonster]

The US government is discussing the potential sale of Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters with the United Arab Emirates, the US Air Force’s vice chief of staff has confirmed.

After the Obama administration pushed back on a previous request from the UAE, the possibility of an F-35 sale appears to have gained renewed traction under President Donald Trump.
In an interview with reporters on the eve of the Dubai air show, Gen Stephen Wilson confirmed news reports on the preliminary discussions with the UAE.

“As you look here in the Middle East they share common threats and so we’re looking at options on who we share those [F-35s] within the Gulf,” Wilson says. “So the discussions are ongoing now with the new administration on selling F-35s to partner nations that need them and require them.”
In February, Abu Dhabi signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia to develop a fifth-generation fighter jet, potentially hindering any F-35 sale. However, Wilson declines to comment on the issue.
Operating a mixed inventory of American and Russian fighters is not unprecedented, although the fleets do not often include stealth aircraft. Malaysia flies both Boeing F/A-18s and Sukhoi Su-30s; Egypt operates F-16s and MiG-21s; and Pakistan uses F-16s and Chinese-built JF-17s.
Israeli objections could also quash any potential sale of the F-35 to the UAE. But even a sale to an adversary in the Gulf may not erode Tel Aviv's qualitative military edge, since deliveries would not begin in the near term.
The Israeli air force received its initial batch of Joint Strike Fighters earlier this year and deliveries of all 50 aircraft are expected to be complete in 2027.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... ra-443118/

[eagle driver]

A bit more on this story

Source: UAE wants to buy 24 F-35s

By: Chirine Mchantaf and Agnes Al Helou
Defense News

November 13, 2017

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates Air Force will undergo a restructuring, guided in part by plans to buy two squadrons of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

“We are currently forming a specialized committee to assess the risks, threats, and needs of the UAE Air Force,” and then evaluate available platforms to meet requirements, according to an Emirati military source.

Much of the focus at the Dubai Air Show has been on the Gulf country’s progress toward authorization to purchase the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. According to military sources with knowledge of the matter, “the talks between the two parties are [focused on] sensitive systems in the aircraft that need export permit.” The sources refused to disclose the value of the deal, but said it would be limited in the first phase to the purchase of two squadrons, or 24 aircraft.

At the air show, the deputy commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defense, Brig. Gen. Rashed M. Al Shamsi stressed the importance of “strengthening the UAE air capacity” in response to a question about the potential F-35 acquisition. He noted that “equipping the Air Force requires connected multi-role platforms with the ability to share data, enhanced intelligence collection, and distribution of the capabilities, a responsive and persistent C4ISR, and a timely and reactive dynamic-targeting process.”

For his part, Staff Maj. Gen. pilot Abdullah A.Al Hashimi, assistant undersecretary for support services in the UAE ministry of defense, commented on the matter: “We in the UAE already live in a 5th-generation environment, so acquiring the F-35 fighter jet is only a step forward to cope with the 5th-generation mindset.”

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is also seeking to procure the F-35 jets and talks are making an important progress, as stated by officials who refused to be named.

Gen. Stephen Wilson, the Air Force’s vice chief of staff, stressed the importance of the United State’s ongoing pursuit of potential new F-35 customers including the Gulf nation, since “we share threats, interests, and responsibilities. We are going to explore options for those nations and partners to benefit from this capability.”

The vice chief of staff also replied to a question about possible adaptations needed for the F-35 to operate effectively in the Gulf environment, stating that “the fighter is used globally and doesn’t need any accommodations. The 5th-generation concept is about the sensor-fusing of information and its networking.”

Ahmad Temsah, CEO of the Center on Regional & Eastern Studies, pointed to the growing Iranian threat as the key motivator to acquiring the F-35, adding that “nowadays, the main Gulf states enemy is Iran, an imminent and dangerous aggression.”

The UAE Air Force is also working on modernizing its pilot training schools by introducing a field training program focused on air encounters similar to the ones adopted by countries in Europe and the U.S.

Air Commander Philippe Adam, commander for operations in the aviation brigade at the French Air Force said that “the UAE military capabilities are getting better with time and this was reflected in the Yemeni conflict. It is astonishing what they have accomplished in few years.”

“The challenge they might face in the near future is the know-how to use [new] systems in the battlefield,” as well as improvements to intelligence and surveillance capabilities, he added.

The UAE Air Force relies primarily today on 124 F-16 Block 60 and 65 Mirage-2000 fighter jets, which have been battle-proven in the Yemeni conflict among others.