US and UAE said aiming for December deal on F-35s

22 September 2020, 1:50 pm

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The United States and United Arab Emirates hope to reach an initial agreement on the sale of advanced stealth jets to Abu Dhabi by December 2, according to the Reuters news agency.

The report comes as Defense Minister Benny Gantz is in Washington for talks on the emerging F-35s deal. Israel has expressed concerns over the sale, arguing it could undermine its military edge in the region.

But US officials have said they are committed to Israel’s security and are looking for a workaround to ensure Israel’s edge remains intact.

Reports Reuters: “Sources familiar with the negotiations said a working idea was for Israeli air defenses to be able to detect the UAE F-35s with technology that effectively defeats the stealth capabilities of the jets.”