The sale of the fighters to Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain has been pending for more than two years, but the White House hasn’t yet allowed it to move forward. It has been tied up, in part, because of long-standing federal policies that require the U.S. to maintain a military advantage for Israel in the Middle East and avoid sales to regional partners that could undermine that advantage, according to U.S. officials and industry sources.
In a letter last month, Sens. John McCain, (R., Ariz.), Bob Corker (R., Tenn.), Jack Reed (D., R.I.) and Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.) called on President Barack Obama to complete the deal, arguing that a delay was unnecessary and the sale wouldn’t threaten Israel’s advantage.
“We understand that these requests must be carefully considered, but a decision on them has been pending too long,” the senators wrote in the letter, which was provided to The Wall Street Journal.
The proposed deal, valued at about $9 billion, includes F-16s made by Lockheed Martin Corp. and F-15 and F/A-18 jets made by Boeing Co. The two companies have warned they could be forced to close their production lines unless they secure new orders, according to the firms and policy makers who share the senators’ concerns.
The delay, say the senators, also means the Gulf states might look elsewhere to buy the fighters. Underscoring that concern, Kuwait last month signed a deal to buy 28 Eurofighter Typhoon jets made by a consortium of European firms.
“Denying the requests will not preclude these countries from purchasing fighter aircraft with advanced capabilities from foreign providers, including perhaps Russia,” the senators wrote. “America must not lose an opportunity to expand our influence in the Middle East and ensure continued U.S. industrial dominance by ceding the field to our competitors or adversaries.” (end of excerpt)
Click here for the full story, on the Washington Post website.
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