AnalysisWas there a China factor in UAE’s scuttling of F-35 jet deal with US?
- Analysts are speculating that Abu Dhabi’s move to freeze talks over a US$23.4 billion arms deal reveals a rift in US-UAE ties
- The Biden administration wants Abu Dhabi to exclude Huawei from its 5G network, while US intelligence officials believe the Chinese military is building an installation at Port Khalifa
Spiking tensions between the United States and the United Arab Emirates over its close relationship with China are believed by analysts to be largely responsible for Abu Dhabi’s recent decision to freeze negotiations over the acquisition of F-35 warplanes and other advanced American weaponry.
The US$23.4 billion arms deal was approved in principle by former president Donald Trump’s administration soon after the Gulf state signed the Abraham Accords with Israel in August 2020 to normalise its relations with Tel Aviv.
The defence agreement would make the UAE the first Arab nation to acquire the F-35 stealth warplane, MQ-9B Reaper drones and other advanced American weaponry.
In a December 15 statement, the UAE embassy in Washington said “technical requirements, sovereign operational restrictions and cost-benefit analysis led to the reassessment” of its plan to buy 50 F-35s at a cost of US$10.5 billion.
The two countries said they intended to proceed with the deal at a later stage. However, future negotiations look likely to be protracted.
Weeks before the embassy’s announcement, the kingdom also green-lighted a US$19 billion proposal to purchase 12 French military helicopters and 80 Rafale jets to replace its 53 ageing Mirage 2000-5 fighters.