|
The
State Department approval announced early Thursday for Qatar
comes after Doha had been trying to purchase the drones during
the Biden administration, but hadn't gotten the OK despite
serving as an interlocutor for Washington to the Taliban in
Afghanistan, Iran's theocracy and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The
immediate approval under President Donald Trump serves as a
far-different starting point for his government's relations with
Qatar — particularly after he initially backed a four-nation
boycott of Doha during his first term.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national
security objectives of the United States by helping to improve
the security of a friendly country that continues to be an
important force for political stability and economic progress in
the Middle East,” the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency
said in a statement.
Qatar's government did not immediately respond to a request for
comment Thursday. Qatar is the second-largest purchaser of U.S.
military equipment after Saudi Arabia, spending over $26 billion
for F-15 fighter jets, Apache attack helicopters, missile
defense systems and other gear.
The proposed sale now goes to the U.S. Congress. Lawmakers
typically weigh in on such sales and, in some cases, can block
them.
Under terms of the sale, Qatar would purchase eight of the
drones, as well as hundreds of bombs and missiles to arm the
pilotless aircraft with and the equipment necessary to fly them
by satellite.
General Atomics Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece,
can fly at altitudes over 40,000 feet (12,100 meters) and have
an endurance of more than 30 hours before needing to land. The
aircraft have been flown by both the U.S. military and the CIA
over the Middle East for years, in Afghanistan, Iraq and now
over Yemen during the American bombing campaign there. The drone
has a land and sea version.
The initial approval for Qatar, however, comes after the nearby
United Arab Emirates has been waiting since 2020 to purchase up
to 18 MQ-9 drones as part of a $23 billion deal also including
advanced F-35 fighter jets. Trump has a particularly close
relationship with the UAE, which reached a diplomatic
recognition deal with Israel under his administration in 2020.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
|
|
