The Trump administration has cleared the sale of military helicopters and jet fighter parts to the United Arab Emirates.
The approval came just before President Donald Trump was due to arrive in the UAE in his tour of Middle Eastern states, according to The Hill.
The report said the UAE had already announced a nearly $1.5 trillion investment package in the U.S, covering computer chips, energy, manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.
Defense Department approval of the smallest segment of the new arms sale, $130 million for F-16 jet fighter components and accessories, was made public Monday. In a release, the department noted, "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major defense partner."
The Hill reported the sale of CH-47 F Chinook helicopters to the UAE will net $1.32 billion.
The department's release suggested that the UAE is a trusted ally. "The UAE is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East."
Connecticut Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy challenged the sale in a post on X, vowing to create a roadblock over the UAE’s association with the president. "I will block any arms sale to a nation that is doing direct personal business with Trump," wrote Murphy. "UAE's investment in Trump crypto and Qatar's gifting of a plane is nuclear grade graft. An unacceptable corruption of our foreign policy."
Murphy added in an earlier post Monday, "We can't act like this is normal foreign policy."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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