Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/661228
Photo: Internet BY: Now, the Saudi Arabia has a largest fleet of the F-15E Strike Eagle in the Persian Gulf region– Photo: the United States Air Forces. Besides Kuwait and Qatar, a country which cannot wait any longer for the new US aircraft, may become Bahrain that wants to purchase a small batch of the new F-16V Fighting Falcons and upgrade currently used ones to this standard - Photo: the United States Air Forces. The 2015 showed how complicated is the world of military sales. A great example is a situation of the Boeing. The Government of the United States blocks finalizing two export contracts for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-15E Strike Eagle fighters. What might be interesting, the reason behind the block of the sale to the important allies, are political factors. It turned out that Qatar and Kuwait want to purchase substantial numbers of the 4.5 generation fighters manufactured by Boeing corporation. Qatar wanted to acquire the 72 F-15E Strike Eagles of the undefined variant and the Kuwait wanted to procure 28 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. In both cases are supposed to help significantly in maintaining a production capacity of both assembly lines – due to finishing a full-scale production for the US DoD their operations could end in the 2018-2019 timeframe. Taking into account a fact that within a time horizon the Boeing lacks a product of this class, this tycoon will be deprived of the possibility to offer such aircraft in the United States and in the world. Despite a fact that all the time there is a large demand for the 4.5 generation fighters. What is even more interesting, a Persian Gulf region has been for many years a key market for export of the American weapon systems and frequently it saved production lines (like Lockheed Martin and their F-16), as well as an area of the continuous rivalry with the competitors from Western Europe. Over 40 years supplying countries of the west cost of the Gulf was sanctioned by a hostile attitude towards Iran. And it is just Teheran, true to its name, is a reason of the present attitude of the administration in Washington D.C. One of the political goals of the Barack Obama's administration is improvement of diplomatic relationships with the countries which have been recognized as the "evil" so far. It was clearly noticeable at the end of last year when an agreement with Cuba, or the Iran was achieved. In the case of the Iran, with a support of the international community, a restriction of the nuclear program and a withdrawal of economic sanctions was successfully negotiated what will result in a comeback to a normal. In order not to expose to a failure these difficult negotiations, Washington the most probably decided to freeze offensive programs of the key allies in the region - Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. In their case it was only sales of the "defensive" armament systems like Patriot SAM and THAAD anti-ballistic missile systems were authorized. Interestingly, this policy of the United States was not reciprocated by the other partners of the negotiations with Iran – even France or United Kingdom. Paris, which offers the Dassault Rafale fighters, did not stopped negotiations and signed with Qatar a contract for deliveries of 24 Rafale fighters. Officially, www.fragoutmag.com