American official: US 'fully committed' to F-35 sale to UAE

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. remains “fully committed” to a projected merchantability of precocious F-35 stealth combatant jets to the United Arab Emirates, contempt the Biden medication slowing down the deal, a elder American authoritative overseeing arms exports said Tuesday.

Mira Resnick, a lawman U.S. adjunct caput of authorities successful the Biden administration, besides told The Associated Press astatine the Dubai Air Show that Gulf Arab partners are not looking to acquisition weapons from Russia arsenic a hedge implicit American concerns astir quality rights successful the region.

A high-level Russian delegation met Tuesday with Abu Dhabi’s almighty crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, astatine the aerial show, which prominently featured Moscow’s rival to the F-35, the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate.

“The F-35 is already successful this region, whether it’s Israelis flying the F-35, whether it’s American F-35,” Resnick said. “We would similar the UAE to beryllium capable to run the F-35 successful a mode that (they) tin beryllium our information partners and to deter threats, including from Iran.”

The projected merchantability of 50 F-35s came astatine the extremity of President Donald Trump’s administration, rising retired of a woody that saw the UAE admit Israel. The $23 cardinal merchantability besides included equipped drones and different defence instrumentality sought by the Emirates, a hereditarily ruled federation of 7 sheikhdoms besides location to Dubai.

Only Israel flies the F-35 successful the region, portion of its alleged “qualitative edge” granted by America aft Israel fought respective wars against its Arab neighbors since its founding.

Resnick said she’d heard nary concerns from Israel oregon different allies implicit the F-35 merchantability to the Emirates.

“We are afloat committed to the F-35 and transferring the F-35, which is simply a crippled changer for the Emiratis,” she said. “We are moving with them arsenic we talk to marque definite that determination are clarifications to the assorted assurances that were made to the erstwhile administration.”

Resnick declined to picture what clarifications America sought, nor what assurances the Emiratis had offered. The UAE likewise has not discussed merchantability terms.

“We person worked with with Saudi Arabia to marque definite that they are capable to support themselves. We cognize that determination are complications successful ... this narration and successful relationships astir the globe,” Resnick said. “But we proceed to reinvest and marque definite that they tin put successful their ain defense.”

Fragments of American munitions dropped by Saudi combatant jets besides person been recovered astatine sites successful Yemen wherever civilians died successful the kingdom’s bombing raids. Asked astir those attacks, Resnick said that the U.S. wants to marque definite American arms are “used successful ways that beforehand U.S. nationalist security.” She said the U.S. continued to enactment with partners connected trying to forestall civilian killings.

As visitors participate the Dubai Air Show, they archetypal spot section Emirati defence steadfast EDGE showing disconnected a wide assortment of its ain munitions. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia successful caller years person sought to amended their ain arms industries successful portion to debar seeing their armament supplies chopped disconnected implicit Western concerns.

Russia likewise has sought to marque an content astatine the show, flying a caller onslaught chopper and showing disconnected the Checkmate combatant pitchy successful a music-video-style presumption to journalists connected the tarmac. But Resnick dismissed that effort, saying flatly that the Checkmate had “not successful the least” ever travel up successful discussions with the Emiratis.

“We person not seen immoderate strategical rival beryllium capable to capable the benignant of relation that we play present successful the region,” Resnick said.

Associated Press writer Malak Harb successful Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

Follow Jon Gambrell connected Twitter astatine www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.