Seth J. Frantzman
Jerusalem Post, Aug. 3, 2022
“Add all this up, and one gets an emerging picture of how air defenses are reshaping US-Israel ties and the region.”
The US State Department has approved the potential sale of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system missiles, THAAD fire control and communication stations, and related equipment to the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reported this week. In addition, the “State Department has approved the potential sale of Patriot missiles and related equipment to Saudi Arabia in a deal valued at up to $3.05 billion,” the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
These are big deals, both in financial and strategic terms. The deal with the UAE is worth $2.25 billion, the Pentagon said. The news comes the same day as reports saying the US Army had recently tested Iron Dome at White Sands, and this just a month after the Marine Corps also tested the missile interceptor at the military testing area in New Mexico.
While these appear to be two different stories – American air defense sales to the Gulf and Israeli air defense technology being tested by the US – they are, in fact, related air defense stories.