Qatar to buy US drones, missiles and bombs worth $2 billion
The US State Department has given the green light to supply Qatar with eight MQ-9B drones, as well as hundreds of missiles and bombs. The total value of the deal is about $2 billion.
Here's What We Know
Qatar's request includes 200 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, 300 500-pound general-purpose bombs, 110 Hellfire II missiles, Seaspray 7500 maritime radars and Leonardo's SAGE Electronic Support Measure system.
This approval comes five years after the first request for MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones was made, which was accompanied by delays and Qatari officials' dissatisfaction with the US administration.
Although Qatar rarely discloses details of its purchases, it has previously acquired Turkish TB2 drones, which were first spotted in 2020. They are based at the Duhan/Tamim airbase.
However, the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar is also home to Task Force 99, an experimental unit of the US Air Force that works with unmanned systems.
It is also worth noting that General Atomics CEO David Alexander said that he expects the resumption of SeaGuardians sales to the United Arab Emirates and possible new deals with Saudi Arabia.
Source: Defence News
