The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday it plans to buy a dozen Chinese L15 aircraft, as it seeks to bolster its defences after a series of attacks by Yemeni rebels.

In December, the UAE threatened to scrap its mega-purchase of US F-35 fighter jets, protesting stringent conditions amid Washington's concerns over China.

The UAE defence ministry said it intended to sign a contract with China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) to purchase 12 of the L15 training and light combat aircraft, with the option for 36 additional jets of the same type, the official Emirati news agency WAM reported.

"We have reached the final stage in our talks with the Chinese side. The final contract will... be signed soon," Tareq Al-Hosani, CEO of Tawazun Economic Council, was quoted as saying.

The value of the deal was not disclosed.

Tawazun -- the Emirates' defence and security acquisitions authority -- was seeking to "develop the UAE's defence capabilities and to achieve its strategic priorities", said WAM.

The US and UAE have yet to finalise a $23 billion arms deal that includes F-35 fighter jets.

Lawmakers from US President Joe Biden's Democratic Party unsuccessfully sought to stop the sale, pointing in part to the Gulf state's role in the Yemen war.

US officials have also been increasingly concerned by China's involvement with the US ally.

But the UAE continues to plough money into drones, robots and other unmanned weaponry as autonomous warfare becomes more and more widespread -- including in attacks on the Gulf country by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

The wealthy Gulf country is part of the Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting the Huthis since 2015.

Although it withdrew ground troops in 2019, it remains a key player in the grinding conflict.

On January 17, drone-and-missile assault by the Huthis killed three oil workers in Abu Dhabi, the first in a number of similar attacks on the UAE.

The US has deployed a warship and fighter planes to help protect the UAE.

Related Links
Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Japan recovers second body from crashed F-15
Tokyo (AFP) Feb 14, 2022
The Japanese military said Monday it has recovered the body of the second crew member of a fighter jet that crashed two weeks ago. The two-seater F-15 from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force crashed in waters off the central Ishikawa region during a training mission on January 31. The body of the other pilot was recovered by the Japanese navy on Friday. A naval search team recovered the second pilot's body on Sunday. The air force confirmed his identity, which was not released to the public. ... read more