United States Announces $3 Billion In Arms Sales To Qatar During Trump Visit
The United States announced on Wednesday that it had reached agreements with Qatar for the purchase of $3 billion in arms sales during President Donald Trump’s visit to the country, as well as other “potential investments”.
According to a White House fact sheet, one of the deals is a $1 billion agreement between the U.S. and Qatari government for Qatar’s acquisition of counter-drone capabilities. The deal “establishes Qatar as the first international customer for Raytheon’s Fixed Site – Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS) designed to counter unmanned aircraft.”
The second deal is a nearly $2 billion sale to Qatar of MQ-9B aerial drones built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. The State Department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the potential sale in March, with the $1.96 billion package consisting of 8 MQ-9Bs equipped with Seaspray maritime search radars, as well as ground control stations, spare parts, and training. Also part of the package are munitions including AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-38 JDAM and GBU-54 Laser JDAM bombs, as well as GBU-12 Paveway II laser guided bombs.
Also signed was a statement of intent to further strengthen the US-Qatar security partnership, “outlining over $38 billion in potential investments including support for burden-sharing at Al Udeid Air Base and future defense capabilities related to air defense and maritime security”.
The White House says other deals signed bring the total value of deals signed during Trump’s visit to $243.5 billion, including a $96 billion “landmark” agreement to acquire up to 210 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X airliners powered by GE Aerospace engines. The fact sheet continues by claiming the deals will generate a total “economic exchange” of $1.2 trillion, although no elaborations were provided on how the figure was reached.
No mentions were made in the fact sheet of the reported “gift” by Qatar of a 747-8 owned by the Qatari royal family to Trump. ABC had reported on Sunday that the aircraft would be refitted to serve as the next Air Force One should the “gift” go through, although government officials that spoke to the news network said that the “gift” would not be made during Trump’s visit.
Trump’s visit to Qatar and the deals are the second leg of his trip to the Middle East, with the White House announcing the day before that his visit to Saudi Arabia had resulted in a $142 billion sale of military equipment in exchange for a $600 billion Saudi investment in the United States.