The United Arab Emirates has reportedly signed an agreement for the purchase of F-35 fifth-generation fighters and MQ-9B armed UAVs.
According to a Reuters report, which cited unnamed officials, the documents outlining delivery schedules, cost and equipment packages were signed an hour before the new president of the United States Joe Biden was sworn in.
The report comes after the US State Department officially notified Congress about the potential sale of up to 50 F-35As for $10.4 billion and up to 18 MQ-9Bs for $2.97 billion in November 2020.
It is worth noting that, even with the UAE signature, the deal is not yet clear as the new president previously said he would re-examine the matter.
In addition to the F-35 and armed drones, the UAE has also expressed interest in the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft. The country was promised greater arms procurement opportunities in exchange for the normalization of relations with Israel.
