United States decision to approve $4.5 billion in military sales to Qatar

ON 21 AUGUST, THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE ANNOUNCED ON 20 AUGUST THAT IT HAD DECIDED TO APPROVE A MILITARY SALES PLAN FOR THE SALE OF AIR REFUELLING AIRCRAFT AND RELATED EQUIPMENT TO QATAR, WITH AN ESTIMATED TOTAL VALUE OF $4.5 BILLION. IN A STATEMENT, THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE INDICATED THAT QATAR HAD OFFERED TO PURCHASE UP TO FOUR KC-46A AIR REFUELLING MACHINES, AS WELL AS RELATED ACCESSORIES AND SERVICES SUCH AS ENGINES, RADAR ALARM RECEIVERS AND INFRARED CONFRONTATION SYSTEMS. THE STATEMENT STATED THAT THE SALE WOULD HELP TO ENHANCE THE SECURITY CAPABILITIES OF THE “UNITED STATES STRATEGIC REGIONAL PARTNERS” AND THEREBY SUPPORT THE FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY OBJECTIVES OF THE UNITED STATES; IT WOULD ALSO ENHANCE QATAR'S DEFENCE CAPABILITIES AND ITS ABILITY TO JOIN FORCES WITH THE UNITED STATES FORCES AND ALLIED FORCES, AND CONSOLIDATE QATAR'S STRATEGIC ROLE IN REGIONAL SECURITY. KC-46A, THE LATEST REFUELLING AIRCRAFT EQUIPPED BY THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, WAS DEVELOPED BY BOEING BASED ON THE BOEING 767 PASSENGER AIRCRAFT, THE FIRST OF WHICH WAS DELIVERED TO THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE IN JANUARY 2019. ACCORDING TO BOEING, IN ADDITION TO AIR REFUELLING SUPPORT, THE AIRCRAFT HAS THE OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY AND DATA TRANSFER CAPABILITIES REQUIRED FOR MULTI-MISSION REFUELLING UNITS. (IN RUSSIAN)