U.S. President Donald Trump announced defence contracts worth $42 billion and an investment worth $10 billion on the Al Udeid Air Base were signed with Qatar.
The defence contract includes C-UAS systems from RTX (Raytheon) for a cost of $1 billion, THAAD anti-ballistic missile systems, MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAVs, GDLS Desert Viper 8x8 armoured vehicles, and KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft.
Trump announced the contract during his speech at the Al Udeid Air Base, which houses U.S. armed forces personnel. The defence contract cluster also includes investing $10 billion in the air base to improve its capabilities.
Qatar, alongside Saudi Arabia, is among the major customers of the U.S. defence equipment in the Gulf region. The acquisitions range from F-15QA fighter jets, cargo aircraft, MIM-104 Patriot air defence system, and NASAMS medium-range air defence system.
Due to natural resources, Qatar's wealth plays a role in both large-scale defence contracts and Trump's willingness to increase the trade volume.
Qatar is also in very close proximity to Iran, and one could expect the U.S. to see Qatar as a forward operating point in the event of a military action against Iran, considering the Iranian support to Houthi rebels, who have been targeting NATO warships.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
