Abu Dhabi, May 20 (H.S.): During President Donald Trump’s Gulf visit, the U.S. and UAE formalized a “comprehensive U.S.-UAE Major Defense Partnership” through a signed Letter of Intent (LOI) by UAE’s Defense Affairs Minister Mohammed Al Mazrouei and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. This agreement follows the Biden administration’s designation of the UAE as a major defense partner. According to a May 16 joint statement, the LOI reflects a commitment to enhancing military cooperation, joint capability development, and defense alignment. Both nations plan to establish a structured roadmap for improving bilateral force readiness and innovation-driven collaboration.
A new strategic initiative, aimed at bolstering mutual research and development, was launched between the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit and the UAE’s Tawazun Council. The UAE also joined the U.S. National Guard State Partnership Program through a collaboration with Texas National Guard, which will enhance military modernization and cooperation in various defense areas, including air and missile defense.
During Trump’s Middle East visit, the UAE secured limited defense agreements, but progress on a prospective F-35 deal was stagnant. Analyst Ryan Bohl noted that the partnership aims to deepen military cooperation while noting that the F-35 transaction still requires negotiations involving Israel to maintain its military edge. Concerns about technology leakage related to Chinese 5G in the UAE hindered advancement on the F-35 deal, as emphasized by IISS analyst Albert Vidal. He expressed skepticism that the new partnership would significantly impact the F-35 negotiations. Trump seeks to facilitate defense sales to Gulf states, as indicated by an April 2025 executive order easing defense export regulations.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
