The State Department approved $1.45 billion in arms sales to the UAE amid concerns over Trump ties, regional balance, and prior UAE involvement in Sudan.
This week, the U.S. State Department approved two foreign military sales (FMS) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), valued at $1.45 billion. This approval comes just days before President Donald Trump is set to visit the country as part of his ongoing Middle East trip, the first foreign visit of his second term.
Trump is expected to travel to the Gulf state as the final stop on his four-day trip.
The State Department approved the proposed sale, while the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the proposed FMS. It is unclear if lawmakers will put up any objections.
Still, in January Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) and Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-California) voiced their opposition to a $1.2 billion arms sale to the UAE, after the Middle Eastern nation had supplied weapons to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a group that the United States has accused of carrying out war crimes including ethnic cleansing.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) also express concern about the proposed deal on Monday, pointing to a UAE-based investment firm committing $2 billion to a Trump-backed cryptocurrency venture, while questioning Qatar’s pledge to give the United States a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet that could serve as “Air Force One” while Trump is in office.
“We should have a full Senate debate and vote,” Murphy wrote on X, the social media platform owned by Trump ally Elon Musk.
“UAE’s investment in Trump crypto and Qatar’s gifting of a plane is nuclear-grade graft. An unacceptable corruption of our foreign policy.”
Democratic lawmakers had attempted to block arms sales to the Middle East during Trump’s first term. With only a minority in the House and Senate, the Democrats will face an uphill battle, but can still be vocal about the proposed deal.
Why Does the UAE Want These CH-47F Chinooks?
Abu Dhabi has sought to purchase six Boeing CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters, equipped with extended-range fuel tanks and aerial refueling capabilities, as part of a potential $1.32 billion FMS.
According to DSCA, “The proposed sale will improve the United Arab Emirates’ capability to meet current and future threats by extending its range of flight operations. The UAE will use these assets in search and rescue, disaster relief, humanitarian support, and counterterrorism operations. The United Arab Emirates will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and services into its armed forces.”
It added that the sale will not “alter the basic military balance in the region.”
As part of the FMS, the UAE will receive T-55-GA-714A engines, Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation System devices with M-Code; AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems; AN/ARC-231A communications security radios; M-240 machine guns; and other related equipment and support services.
Boeing and Honeywell were named the principal contractors for the proposed sale. Each company must send representatives to the UAE for up to sixty months to oversee the “deprocessing, fielding, system checkout, training, and technical logistics support.”
The second FMS, valued at $130 million, was for the sustainment and related equipment for the UAE’s American-made F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft fleet.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major defense partner. The UAE is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the second DSCA notice stated.
“The proposed sale will improve the United Arab Emirates’ ability to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity to meet its national defense requirements.”
No principal contractor is associated with that sale.
There has been no mention of the UAE expressing interest in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. However, during Trump’s first administration, Abu Dhabi had worked to close a deal for the fifth-generation stealth fighter.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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