Emiratis Balk at Strings Attached to F-35 Sale

The United Arab Emirates may not end up with the F-35 Lightning II, following the long running negotiations to sell the platform to the middle eastern nation. American Secretary of State Antony Blinken insists the FMS program remains ready to sell the fighter, but the Gulf state has expressed unhappiness at the strings that would come attached to F-35 operation. Ahead of an in-person UAE delegation to the Pentagon, one reportedly low-level official penned a letter outlining their desire to suspend talks on the deal. 

Specific demands aren't fully known, but Blinken has made reference to Washington's desire to ensure Israeli military supremacy in the region should the F-35 enter operation in the UAE. “We wanted to make sure that we could do a thorough review of any technologies that are sold or transferred to other partners in the region,” he said. The Israeli element, however is hardly mentioned in the scuttlebutt surrounding the deal. Relations with the UAE have improved in recent history, with the Arab nation officially recognizing the Jewish state. Regional disputes are common, with some reports that any F-35 sold to the UAE could not operate over the conflicts in Yemen or Libya. 

The biggest issue holding up the deal, according to insider talk, are the American security demands aimed at limiting possible exposure of their high-tech frontline fighter to Chinese espionage efforts. Reportedly, the U.S. seeks a cancellation of an upcoming 5G network agreement with telecomms giant Huawei. The demand echoes similar events that happened in the United Kingdom, when the same company was booted from a network deal in favor of American or European equipment amid F-35 concerns. The Emirati purchase would include 18 of the MQ-9B UAV, more than 50 F-35s, and $10-billion worth of advanced munitions. The acquisition is not a vital element of the country's national defense, having enough fighters of older vintage capable of holding the line through 2027, the expected date of F-35 service. 

The UAE has recently surprised many with a large purchase for $19 billion worth of the French Rafale fighter. While the machinations of statecraft contain many moving parts, the agreement showed that the Emiratis are well aware of their options in the defense procurement market. Their selection of the Rafale makes them the first to operate the top-line, F-4 version with the most cutting edge sensors, helmet mounted HUD, and weapon selection. A fine fighter the Rafale may be, but like other procurement specialists, the Emirati delegation will find the Americans are the only shop on the block offering a turnkey 5th generation fighter for sale. While it is not without shortcomings of its own, it remains the only realistic option for those wanting to obtain a relatively future-proof, stealthy fighter fleet. Jumping into the tail end of 4th (more kindly said, "4.5th") generation fighters could needlessly limit their future Air Force capability as the aeronautical arms race marches on and technologies improve around the world. 

FMI: www.f35.com