UAE does not plan to re-open F-35 fighter jet talks with U.S.

DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates does not expect to resume talks with the U.S. about a multi-billion dollar deal for F-35 warplanes, irrespective of who is elected to the White House in November, a senior UAE government official said on Saturday.

Reuters reported on Friday that the UAE was planning to resume negotiations to purchase F-35s and armed drones if Donald Trump wins a second presidential term, according to several people familiar with the matter.

Trump had signed off on a deal to allow the purchase to go ahead in the final days of his presidency in 2021, but the UAE suspended talks at the end of that year, unable to agree terms with the Biden administration.

The UAE has long sought the most advanced fighter jet, built with stealth technology allowing it to evade enemy detection.

If the U.S. did approve the transfer, the UAE would be only the second Middle East state, after Israel, to operate F-35s.

The UAE official said on Saturday the same factors that caused it to suspend the talks in 2021 have not changed and the government does not plan to re-open negotiations.

“Our position remains unchanged and we do not anticipate discussions regarding the F-35 being reopened for the foreseeable future, irrespective of the outcome of the upcoming US elections,” the senior UAE official said in a statement to Reuters.

“Technical requirements, sovereign operational restrictions and cost/benefit analysis led to the reassessment at that time, and those considerations underpin our ongoing position.”

The official did not comment on the possibility of fresh talks to purchase armed drones.