Latest news with #MajorDefensePartnership
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pentagon touts major defense partnership with United Arab Emirates
The Trump administration plans to establish a 'Major Defense Partnership' with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), bilateral cooperation that could mean joint weapons development and closer military collaboration between the United States and the wealthy Gulf nation. The letter of intent, signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and UAE Defense Minister Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei on Friday in Abu Dhabi, sets in motion a 'roadmap that will guide enhanced military-to-military cooperation, joint capability development, and long-term defense alignment between the two nations,' the Pentagon said in a statement on Monday. The designation is significant as the U.S. has only ever signed a similar pact with India. That partnership, inked in 2016, led to expanded military exercises and security agreements and gave New Delhi certain defense trade privileges. As part of that, Hegseth also announced a 'new strategic initiative' between the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit and the UAE's Tawazun Economic Council — the country's defense and security acquisitions authority — for joint research and development as well as expanded industrial and investment partnerships in both countries. The Tawazun Economic Council notably signed a term sheet with Raytheon last month to produce its Coyote counter-drone interceptors in the UAE. In addition, the UAE will enter the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program, where it will be paired with the Texas National Guard to 'bolster military modernization efforts and enhance cooperation in integrated air and missile defense, cybersecurity, disaster response, and operational planning,' according to the Pentagon statement. The newly inked deal follows President Trump's visit to the Middle East last week, where he stopped in the UAE and pledged to strengthen U.S. ties to the country. While Trump was in the region, the U.S. announced deals with the Gulf state totaling more than $200 billion, but that only included a relatively modest number of defense agreements. 'I have absolutely no doubt that the relationship will only get bigger and better,' Trump said while meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE had sought to join the international F-35 program, but a potential F-35 fighter jet deal to Abu Dhabi was not brought up during the visit. A procurement deal for the UAE to buy the fifth-generation fighters was on track but fell apart in 2021 over U.S. concerns about the Gulf state's use of Chinese wireless technology. The Trump administration also last week signed off on $1.4 billion in helicopters and F-16 fighter jet parts to the nation. But Democratic lawmakers have opposed such arms sales to the UAE over its providing of weapons to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, a group the U.S. has charged with war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Pentagon touts major defense partnership with United Arab Emirates
The Trump administration plans to establish a 'Major Defense Partnership' with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), bilateral cooperation that could mean joint weapons development and closer military collaboration between the United States and the wealthy Gulf nation. The letter of intent, signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and UAE Defense Minister Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei on Friday in Abu Dhabi, sets in motion a 'roadmap that will guide enhanced military-to-military cooperation, joint capability development, and long-term defense alignment between the two nations,' the Pentagon said in a statement on Monday. The designation is significant as the U.S. has only ever signed a similar pact with India. That partnership, inked in 2016, led to expanded military exercises, security agreements and gave New Delhi certain defense trade privileges. As part of that, Hegeth also announced a 'new strategic initiative' between the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit and the UAE's Tawazun Economic Council — the country's defense and security acquisitions authority — for joint research and development as well as expanded industrial and investment partnerships in both countries. The Tawazun Economic Council notably signed a term sheet with Raytheon last month to produce its Coyote counter-drone interceptors in the Emirates. Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here In addition, the UAE will enter the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program, where it will be paired with the Texas National Guard to 'bolster military modernization efforts and enhance cooperation in integrated air and missile defense, cybersecurity, disaster response, and operational planning,' according to the Pentagon statement. The newly inked deal follows President Trump's visit to the Middle East last week, where he stopped in the UAE and pledged to strengthen U.S. ties to the country. While Trump was in the region, the U.S. announced deals with the Gulf state totaling more than $200 billion, but that only included a relatively modest number of defense agreements. 'I have absolutely no doubt that the relationship will only get bigger and better,' Trump said while meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE had sought to join the international F-35 program, but a potential F-35 fighter jet deal to Abu Dhabi was not brought up during the visit. A procurement deal for the UAE to buy the fifth-generation fighters was on track but fell apart in 2021 over U.S. concerns about the Gulf state's use of Chinese wireless technology. The Trump administration also last week signed off on $1.4 billion in helicopters and F-16 fighter jet parts to the nation. But Democratic lawmakers have opposed such arms sales to the UAE over its providing of weapons to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, a group the U.S. has charged with war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Guarded optimism in India as Trump and Modi outline plans to deepen defense partnership
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — There was guarded optimism among military experts in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump outlined plans to ramp up sales of defense systems to New Delhi, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, to deepen the U.S.-India strategic relationship. 'Defense sector is a big money, and India happens to be one of the top buyers in the world,' said Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, India's director-general for military operations from 2012 to 2014. 'As long as we buy, Trump will be happy but it's surely going to expand our conventional deterrence.' The meeting signaled that 'defense diplomacy is the core of diplomacy these days," Bhatia said. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. In a joint statement at the White House, the two leaders announced plans to sign a new 10-year framework later this year for the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership. Modi and Trump 'pledged to elevate military cooperation across all domains — air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace — through enhanced training, exercises, and operations, incorporating the latest technologies,' the statement said. The leaders also 'committed to break new ground to support and sustain the overseas deployments of the U.S. and Indian militaries in the Indo-Pacific, including enhanced logistics and intelligence sharing," the statement said. While Indian military experts have long sought to diversify national defense procurements, analysts say it will take years to reduce New Delhi's dependency on Russian arms, even with expanded defense cooperation with the U.S. Raja Mohan, an analyst at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore, said expansion in defense cooperation would take time. 'What India wants is coproduction and more research and development in India. It's a long-term project,' he said. It is difficult for India to remain dependent on Russia for defense equipment owing to difficulties obtaining parts and upgrades. However, a deal with the U.S. for F-35 stealth fighter jets will not fill India's immediate need for more than 100 aircraft, said Rahul Bedi, an independent defense analyst based in India. 'They are not going to come tomorrow,' Bedi said. 'It's going to take several years to start arriving,' he added. As its geostrategic competition with China has grown manifold in recent years, India has diversified defense acquisitions from the U.S., Israel and France while seeking to move toward self-reliance in this sector. But New Delhi is still far from getting over its dependence on supplies and spare parts from Russia that makes up to 60% of Indian defense equipment. With vast borders and protracted border conflicts with neighboring countries Pakistan and China, India also relies hugely on Moscow for military upgrades and modernization. 'India faces threats from China and Pakistan, and a threat from collaborative Pakistan-China. We need technologically capable systems to counter these threats and one country that can give such systems is America,' said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who from 2014 to 2016 headed the Indian military's Northern Command. China's rise as a global power also has pushed India closer to the U.S. and to the Quad, a new Indo-Pacific strategic alliance among the U.S., India, Australia and Japan. The growing strategic alliance accuses China of economic coercion and military maneuvering in the region, upsetting the status quo, and has ruffled feathers in Beijing, which sees the relationship as a counterweight against China's rise. Indian fears of Chinese territorial expansion are bolstered by the growing presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean and Beijing's efforts to strengthen ties with not only Pakistan but also Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. 'The major threat is from China which is outstripping India's capability,' Hooda said. In the early 1990s, about 70% of Indian army weapons, 80% of its air force systems and 85% of its navy platforms were of Soviet origin. From 2016 to 2020, Russia accounted for nearly 49% of India's defense imports while French and Israeli shares were 18% and 13%, respectively, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Major Indian purchases from the U.S. included long-range maritime patrol aircraft, C-130 transport aircraft, missiles and drones. The defense sales also can potentially offset the trade deficit between the two countries, Hooda said. 'It's a win-win for all. America will get more business, and we'll get modern weapons,' Hooda said. 'It will also help to ease pressure on the tariff issue and trade deficit.' ___ Associated Press writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.
