UAE threatening to scotch colossal F-35 deal with US – report

The United Arab Emirates is threatening to walk from a massive arms deal with the US that includes billions of dollars worth of F-35 fighter jets and reaper drones, saying US security requirements meant to keep the arms safe from Chinese spying are too restrictive, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The Emiratis have told the US the talks are off, but officials appear to be viewing it as a bargaining move and do not believe the deal is necessarily dead, the paper reports.

The US is wary of growing ties between the UAE and China, which it fears could leave its technology vulnerable to Beijing’s espionage, according to the WSJ.

The $23 billion deal, one of the largest arms deals ever, was a byproduct of the UAE’s agreement to normalize ties with Israel over a year ago. Israel, which can object to US arms sales that degrade its qualitative military edge in the region, signed off on the agreement following the normalization deal, despite claims that aspects of it had been kept from senior Israeli defense officials.

Israel is currently the only country in the region with F-35 jets. The reaper drones will give the UAE access to weapons that even Israel has not been allowed to purchase.