DUBAI—A new video produced by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Defense Ministry showcasing the country’s air force fleet includes a fleeting image of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-9B SeaGuardian.
The brief visual reference that kicked off the Dubai International Air Chiefs’ Conference here on Nov. 12 offers a reminder that a long-discussed sale of 18 MQ-9Bs to the UAE remains under discussion as the Dubai Airshow begins this week.
A spokesman for GA-ASI confirms the discussions remain active, but offered no timetable for reaching a final decision.
“Discussions between the United States and United Arab Emirates on the possible acquisition of MQ-9B SeaGuardian are ongoing, and we are supporting those conversations as needed,” a company spokesman says.
GA-ASI was expected to announce on Nov. 12 a partnership with UAE-based defense conglomerate Edge Group to integrate various domestic munitions into the MQ-9B.
The U.S. government approved the potential sale of 18 MQ-9Bs to the UAE on Nov. 10, 2020, during the last three months of the Trump administration.
But the UAE acquisition appeared to get bundled into a larger acquisition of 50 Lockheed Martin F-35As, which the Trump administration announced on the same day.
The F-35A deal has been put on hold over concerns about the UAE’s security relationship with China, which is reportedly building a military facility near Abu Dhabi and delivering a small number of Hongdu L-15 trainers to the UAE air force. The same video that showed the MQ-9B included no references to the F-35, which once figured large in the air force’s future fleet plans.
Greg Ulmer, the executive vice president of Lockheed’s Aeronautics division, is not attending the Dubai Airshow this year, which may reflect the lack of progress in talks with the UAE about the F-35 sale.
But recent signs, including the MQ-9B reference in an official UAE military video presentation and the munitions agreement with Edge, suggest the two potential deals have been decoupled in government-to-government talks.
“The relationship between General Atomics and UAE remains strong, and we are exploring new and exciting ways to work together in the future,” a GA-ASI spokesman says. “We want to be long-term partners here, as we are with our other partner nations around the world.”
