The White House informed Congress that it intends to push ahead with the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, the head of the powerful Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee said Thursday, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya.
The deal will see 50 F-35 jets sold to the UAE, sources told Reuters.
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Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel, chairman of the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee, questioned the move, saying it would “significantly change the military balance in the Gulf and affect Israel’s military edge.”
He said the F-35 was a “game-changing stealth platform,” and called for Congress to study the sale carefully. “Rushing these sales is not in anyone’s interest,” he said.
Engel repeatedly said the sale of the fighter jets to the UAE must ensure what is referred to as Israel’s qualitative military edge.
“Lastly, the transfer of these weapons to one Arab state inevitably will generate demands from others in the region. Will the price for normalization with Israel be an infusion of advanced weapons? Is this wise?” he questioned.