The US State Department has approved the sale of eight MQ-9B Predator drones and a large package of bombs and missiles to Qatar in a deal valued at nearly $2 billion. The approval, announced Thursday, comes after years of delays.
The proposed sale must now pass through Congress, where lawmakers have the authority to review or block such transactions.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
Qatar has long served as an intermediary for Washington in dealings with the Taliban, Iran, and Hamas.
The deal includes 200 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, 300 500-pound general-purpose bombs, 110 Hellfire II missiles, Seaspray 7500 maritime radars, and SAGE Electronic Support Measure systems from Leonardo.
The drones, which cost around $30 million each, can fly at altitudes above 40,000 feet for over 30 hours and have been used by US forces in conflicts across the Middle East.
Qatar's deep military ties with US
Qatar is the second-largest buyer of US military equipment after Saudi Arabia and has previously acquired F-15 fighter jets, Apache helicopters, and missile defense systems from the US.
It also operates Turkish-made TB2 drones from the Dukhan/Tamim Air Base.