As part of its latest bid to shore up defenses, Qatar is seeking to purchase a host of artillery and military vehicles from the United States, an American agency has said.
The equipment, which will include seven rocket launchers, four Humvees, 600 assorted rockets and related equipment, as well as logistical, repair and other services, will cost Qatar about $406 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated in a notice to Congress yesterday.
The purchase is a drop in the bucket compared to the $6.5 billion Qatar is spending on a new missile-defense system from Lockheed Martin Corp. The US approved that sale, which includes two Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) fire units, 12 launchers, 150 interceptors and early warning radars, last month.
Iran tensions
Qatar’s bid is presumably part of a larger effort to prepare itself for a possible altercation with Iran.
Just yesterday, during a GCC Summit meeting in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister warned Iran against interfering in Gulf nations’ affairs and spreading “sedition,” the National reports.
This year alone, both the UAE and Qatar have spent billions on new Apache and Black Hawk attack helicopters and Hellfire missiles from the US. Qatar has also bought tanks from Germany.
Meanwhile, the US is also reportedly building a missile-defense radar station at a secret site in Qatar.
Thoughts?
Credit: Photo courtesy of Wikipedia