Amidst intensified Gulf crisis, US to agrees to upgrade Qatari air defence

Washington, March 9: Amidst intensified Gulf crisis, the United States on Thursday approved a request from Qatar to upgrade the emirate's air force operations centre. Notably, the development comes after the economic and financial impact on Qatar put by Arab quartet including United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt led blockade is fading slowly. 

 

It has been over nine months after the Arab quartet including United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt put a stringent economic blockade on Qatar alleging Doha supported terrorism. The State Department approved a plan for Qatar to spend $197 million upgrading the technology and logistics capabilities of the Qatari Emiri Air Force operations center.

The US State Department in a statement said, “The foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country." “Qatar has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Persian Gulf region,” the statement added. "Our mutual defence interests anchor our relationship and the Qatar Emiri Air Force plays a predominant role in Qatar's defence," it concluded.

Meanwhile, The US State Department has also approved a request from the United Arab Emirates to purchase $270.4 million worth of weapons, including 300 Sidewinder missiles, training missiles, tactical guidance units, and spares and support.

Importantly, the United States is trying to broker an end to a Saudi-led diplomatic and economic embargo on gas-rich Qatar, and still maintains a huge air base of its own on its territory. In the month of June last year, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and several other nations cut ties with Qatar and imposed stringent economic sanctions on it over supporting extremism. On the other side, Qatar denied all their allegations saying that they never supported Islamist militants and Shi'ite Iran.

Later, Saudi and its allies issued a 13-point list of demands to end the rift on June 22 and gave Qatar 10 days to comply. However, earlier Qatar rejected to fulfill the demands. The controversial Qatar World Cup will take place Nov. 21-Dec. 18 in 2022.

In December last year, Boeing Co have been awarded a $6.2-billion contract for 36 F-15 aircraft for Qatar's air force. The hardcore aircraft will be delivered to Qatar Emiri Air Force at the end of 2022 and will be built by the aerospace giant in St Louis, in the US state of Missouri.