General Atomics is currently finalizing platform configurations and estimates for the Emirati Air Force, with full support from the US government. A formal letter of request from the UAE is expected to be resubmitted within three to six months.
While US State Department officials declined to provide specific details about the status of the MQ-9B deal, they confirmed that the proposed sale of F-35 aircraft, MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and munitions remains under consideration.
The procurement process for the MQ-9B SeaGuardians has a head start, as the US government approved and notified Congress of the potential sale back in 2020, with an estimated price tag of just under $3 billion at the time.
However, a combined deal including 50 F-35 fighter jets along with the SeaGuardians was halted due to US concerns about the Emirates' use of Chinese Huawei network technology and its potential impact on the F-35 program. The president of General Atomics assured Breaking Defense that the Chinese networking technology does not affect the MQ-9B, as it is controlled via satellite links.
In November of last year, Breaking Defense reported that General Atomics was planning to integrate Emirati EDGE Group missiles on the MQ-9B SkyGuardian platform, making it the first indigenous weapons system in the region to be integrated onto a US platform. Testing and integration of the indigenous missile are expected to take place in the UAE.
The United Kingdom and the UAE are the only two countries approved by the US government to integrate their indigenous weapons on the MQ-9.
General Atomics anticipates closing deals with additional Arab countries within the timeframe of 2024-2025.
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