Jump to content

The United Arab Emirates goes shopping...


Dawes

Recommended Posts

Not sure if they'll get everything on the wish list, but evidently Israel is OK with the F-35 purchase. 802 AMRAAM's is a healthy

 amount.

"If requested, F-16 integration will be completed via Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) between Lockheed Martin and the purchaser." Wonder if the AGM-88E HARM's will require integration on the UAE's F-16E/F's?

 

https://www.dsca.mil/sites/default/files/mas/UAE_21-01.pdf

 

https://www.dsca.mil/sites/default/files/mas/UAE_21-03.pdf

 

https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms-sales/united-arab-emirates-mq-9b-remotely-piloted-aircraft

Edited by Dawes
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hardly everyone is Israel is happy about the possibility of F-35s in UAE service. The opposition has accused Bibi of agreeing to the sale with consulting anyone as a concession to get the peace deal. Which IMO is likely, giving the timing. 800+ AIM-120s is a hell of a buy. I can't think of any country outside the US that has that inventory.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congress can still disapprove the sale. And that may be a possibility given the Democratic majority in the House.

Possibly some of the munitions may be replenishment for stocks expended in the Yemen operation?

Edited by Dawes
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There weren't any AIM-120's expended against the Houti & The Blowfish, unless you know about an air force that I don't.

I can't speak to how congress will react, but right now it looks like yes, despite all protestations to the contrary from Israeli politicians, the price of peace was F-35s:

https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/usa-approves-23bn-sale-of-f-35s-mq-9bs-and-thousands-of-weapons-to-uae/141067.article

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Josh said:

Hardly everyone is Israel is happy about the possibility of F-35s in UAE service. The opposition has accused Bibi of agreeing to the sale with consulting anyone as a concession to get the peace deal. Which IMO is likely, giving the timing. 800+ AIM-120s is a hell of a buy. I can't think of any country outside the US that has that inventory.

Hardly everyone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the way the UAE pays for protection from the US.

Each contract would be 10 billion and according to the wiki, the UAE combat fleet comprises 140 aircraft so inducting 50 F-35s means they either dispose of the Mirage (which have been upgraded and are used as vectors for the Black Saheen cruise missiles) or they increase the size of the force by a third.

The amounts of ammunition are ludicrous, there are not enough targets in the area for all of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, RETAC21 said:

This is the way the UAE pays for protection from the US.

Each contract would be 10 billion and according to the wiki, the UAE combat fleet comprises 140 aircraft so inducting 50 F-35s means they either dispose of the Mirage (which have been upgraded and are used as vectors for the Black Saheen cruise missiles) or they increase the size of the force by a third.

The amounts of ammunition are ludicrous, there are not enough targets in the area for all of them.

Of course what they are really buying is political pull, like the Saudis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, KV7 said:

= 'less than everyone'. Some object.

It was bad English from someone who speaks only English. I was drinking. "Not everyone" is what I meant.

The potential of an F-35 sale to UAE seems like a point of contention in Israeli politics right now. Someone must have signed off on it at some level for it to be offered, but it seems the people who made the deal (Bibi & Orange Julius) didn't get sign off from the rest of their respective government/defense communities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Dawes said:

All those munitions would be a conveniently pre-positioned stock for USAF use, if it ever came to that. The UAE being reimbursed, of course.

Potentially, but if you look at Al Udied on a satellite map it is pretty hard to see the US running out of beans and bullets in the region. Plus all the pre-positioned Diego Garcia stuff. The UAE also bought a bunch of C-17s; I wonder if they've ever left the ground.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Nobu said:

Conveniently prepositioned in the UAE... for close inspection by ex-Pakistani Air Force officers and technicians at their leisure.

An AIM120 seeker might actually fit in one of those leather XXL-size diplomatic pouches.

The UAE stopped using Pak pilots et al some time ago, because Paks and becuase they cannot rely on thers to do their bidding:

https://www.flightglobal.com/pakistani-pilot-deal-linked-to-us-block-on-uae-technology-release/25581.article

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting and prudent move on the part of the UAE.

Pakistan indeed already has AIM120s to dissect, which I had overlooked.

The fear is that the Pakistani embassy's UAE "cultural attache" does not get access to the spare F135 engines included in the deal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Related to drone discussion:https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/11/united-states-approves-possible-fms-of-submarine-hunting-uavs-to-the-uae/

 

Quote

 

United States Approves Possible FMS Of Submarine Hunting UAVs To the UAEThe United States' State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of up to 19 MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.97 billion. The package includes "ASW mission kits" meaning at least some of the aircraft will be the SeaGuardian variant of General Atomics' MQ-9B.

What stands out, in our opinion, is the mention of the following equipment:

  • SeaSpray 7500 maritime radars;
  • SAGE 750 Electronic Surveillance Measures System;
  • Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) mission kits, receivers, and acoustic processors;
  • AN/SSQ-36B thermometric sonobuoys;
  • AN/SSQ-53G passive sonobuoys;
  • AN-SSQ-62F active sonobuoys;
  • ASW acoustic operator workstations;

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree that it seems that the Pakistani element is greatly reduced in the military although their are still a lot and many with influence. 

I would think there will be a USA/UAE agreed contractor component to look over the maintenance

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...