DefenceTalk<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would have \u201cno problem\u201d selling advanced F-35 warplanes to the United Arab Emirates, despite objections from close ally Israel.<\/p>\n
\u201cI personally would have no problem with it,\u201d he said on Fox News. \u201cI would have no problem in selling them the F-35.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump, who will oversee the signing of a deal normalizing relations between Israel and the UAE later Tuesday, said the sale would mean \u201ctremendous jobs at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UAE is eying the stealth fighter jet as a component in its ambitious plans to make the small, wealthy country into a regional military power. Israel \u2014 currently the only country in the region to possess the US warplanes \u2014 has pushed back, insisting on retaining its overwhelming technical advantage against its Arab neighbors.<\/p>\n
Analysts say that the UAE has used its demand for F-35s as a bargaining chip in agreeing to sign up to the Trump-brokered peace accords being signed at the White House that also include Bahrain.<\/p>\n
Trump \u201cunderstands Israel\u2019s security probably more than any American president in decades,\u201d the president\u2019s senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner said last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the United Arab Emirates is a great military, you know, partner of America. We work together on a lot of things. They\u2019re right on the border with Iran and have real threats. And I think that there\u2019s a lot of opportunity to be gained by working on this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n