R. Clarke Cooper, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, said the U.S. government is expected to sign a potential $23.37B deal for the sale of Lockheed Martin-built (NYSE: LMT) F-35 fighter jets, drones and other weapons systems to the United Arab Emirates before the Trump administration ends, Defense News reported Friday.
“But yes, I mean, everything’s in the trajectory for conclusion. And as we’ve already discussed, the sales of course have been well put together by the interagency and have cleared our Congress as well,” Cooper told reporters Friday during a call.
The proposed foreign military sales deal includes the procurement of up to 50 F-35A fighter aircraft worth approximately $10.4B, air-to-ground and air-to-air munitions valued at $10B and 18 units of General Atomics-made MQ-9B drones worth $2.97B by the Middle Eastern country.