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U.S. in $3.5 billion arms sale to UAE amid Iran tensions
Reuters India ^ | Sunday, January 1, 2012 | Jim Wolf, ed by Will Dunham

Posted on 01/01/2012 10:23:28 PM PST by SunkenCiv

The United States has signed a $3.5 billion sale of an advanced antimissile interception system to the United Arab Emirates, part of an accelerating military buildup of its friends and allies near Iran.

The deal, signed on December 25 and announced on Friday night by the U.S. Defense Department, "is an important step in improving the region's security through a regional missile defense architecture," Pentagon press secretary George Little said in a statement.

The U.S. Congress had been notified of the proposed sale in September 2008 by former President George W. Bush's administration. At that time, the system built by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) had been projected to involve more missiles, more "fire control" units, more radar sets, all at a cost roughly twice as much to UAE.

It marks the first foreign sale of the so-called Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), the only system designed to destroy short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere.

The United States, under the government-to-government deal, will deliver two THAAD batteries, 96 missiles, two Raytheon Co (RTN.N) AN/TPY-2 radars plus 30 years of spare parts, support and training with contractor logistics support to the UAE, Little said.

"Acquisition of this critical defense system will bolster the UAE's air and missile defense capability and enhance the already robust ballistic missile defense cooperation between the United States and the UAE," he said.

Lockheed Martin did not immediately respond to a request for its delivery timetable for THAAD, part of a layered bulwark being built by the Obama administration in Europe and the Middle East against Iran's growing missile capabilities.

(Excerpt) Read more at in.reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: boeing; iran; lockheed; uae; unitedarabemirates

United Arab Emirates -- CIA World Factbook
United Arab Emirates -- CIA World Factbook

1 posted on 01/01/2012 10:23:32 PM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

G’night, I really mean it this time.


2 posted on 01/01/2012 10:30:44 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! May 2013 be even Happier!)
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To: SunkenCiv
Splendid.
3 posted on 01/01/2012 10:32:11 PM PST by Glenn (iamtheresistance.org)
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To: SunkenCiv

G’nite to the world?

I thought Obummer was going to make the cat lie down with the dog and all his Islamopals be best buddies and behave themselves forever more.


4 posted on 01/01/2012 10:37:18 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Sometimes progressives find their scripture in the penumbra of sacred bathroom stall writings (Tzar))
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To: HiTech RedNeck
Yeah, well, two thoughts on that. The UAE has been around Iran a lot longer, and they obviously know they need to defend themselves.

Second, hussein has apparently cut the size of the deal in half? So they don't get as much defense as they wanted. (need?)

5 posted on 01/01/2012 10:53:22 PM PST by ThunderSleeps (Stop obama now! Stop the hussein - insane agenda!)
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To: HiTech RedNeck; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; ...

Arming the UAE is a move to keep Iran from being the power in the region, i.e., to avoid a power vacuum.


6 posted on 01/02/2012 12:22:14 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! May 2013 be even Happier!)
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Iran backed down?

U.S. signs deal to sell missiles to UAE as Iran backs down from its own missile testing plan
Reuters
Dec 31, 2011
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/12/31/u-s-signs-deal-to-sell-missiles-to-uae-as-iran-backs-down-from-its-own-missile-testing-plan/

and, it’s an election year, and the Obamanation is trying to kiss and make up over that union scheme to attack Boeing:

Boeing beats Lockheed in $3.5-bn US defence deal http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/boeing-beats-lockheed-in-3-5-bn-us-defence-deal/articleshow/11333290.cms


7 posted on 01/02/2012 8:37:25 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! May 2013 be even Happier!)
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