The United States Decides to Approve $4.5 Billion Arms Sale to Qatar

On August 20, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington (reporters Huang Qiang and Xu Jianmei) that the U.S. State Department announced on the 20th that it has decided to approve a military sales plan to sell aerial refueling aircraft and related equipment to Qatar, with a total estimated value of up to $4.5 billion.

The State Department stated in a statement that Qatar has proposed to purchase up to four KC-46A aerial refueling aircraft, as well as related accessories and services such as engines, radar warning receivers, and infrared countermeasures systems.

The statement said that this military sale will help enhance the security capabilities of "U.S. strategic regional partners," thereby supporting U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives; it will also strengthen Qatar's defense capabilities and its interoperability with U.S. and allied forces, and reinforce Qatar's strategic role in regional security.

The KC-46A is the latest model of refueling aircraft equipped by the U.S. Air Force, developed by Boeing based on the Boeing 767 passenger aircraft fuselage, with the first aircraft delivered to the U.S. Air Force in January 2019. According to Boeing, in addition to aerial refueling support, the aircraft also possesses the combat capabilities and data transmission functions required of a multi-role tanker.