US moves to approve more than $16 billion in air defense sales to Middle East

The United States is moving to bolster air defenses across the Middle East , notifying Congress of more than $16.5 billion in potential weapons sales aimed primarily at countering missile and drone threats.

The packages include systems for the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan, and range from advanced radar and air defense sensors to counter-drone technology and aircraft munitions, according to several statements released Thursday by the U.S. Department of State.

The notifications come as missile and drone attacks have intensified across the Middle East during the war with Iran, putting pressure on air defense systems used to protect U.S. forces and regional allies.

The State Department said the secretary of state determined that an emergency justified the immediate sale, allowing the administration to bypass the typical congressional review process under the Arms Export Control Act.

Among the proposed sales is a long-range radar for the UAE that is designed to integrate with its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, for $4.5 billion.

The UAE package also includes a $2.1 billion fixed-site system designed to counter small drones, as well as $1.22 billion in air-to-air missiles and a $644 million set of F-16 munitions and upgrades to support its fighter aircraft.

Separately, Kuwait would receive $8 billion in lower tier air and missile defense radars designed to detect shorter-range threats, while Jordan’s $70.5 million package focuses on aircraft repair and parts to maintain its existing fleet.

Together, the sales point to a broader effort to build layered air defenses that are capable of detecting and intercepting threats at different ranges.

The demand comes as U.S. air defense systems are being used at a rate analysts worry exceeds the pace at which stockpiles can be replenished.

Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.

美国正着手加强中东地区的防空力量，并已通知国会，将向该地区出售价值超过 165 亿美元的潜在武器，主要用于应对导弹和无人机威胁。

据美国国务院周四发布的几份声明称，这些援助包包括向阿拉伯联合酋长国、科威特和约旦提供的系统，范围从先进的雷达和防空传感器到反无人机技术和飞机弹药。

在与伊朗的战争期间，中东地区的导弹和无人机袭击愈演愈烈，给用于保护美国军队和地区盟友的防空系统带来了压力。

美国国务院表示，国务卿认定紧急情况足以证明立即出售武器的合理性，从而使政府得以绕过《武器出口管制法》规定的国会审查程序。

拟议的销售方案中包括向阿联酋出售一款远程雷达，该雷达旨在与阿联酋的末段高空区域防御系统（THAAD）集成，价值 45 亿美元。

阿联酋的一揽子计划还包括价值 21 亿美元的固定式防空系统，旨在对抗小型无人机；价值 12.2 亿美元的空对空导弹；以及价值 6.44 亿美元的 F-16 弹药和升级设备，以支持其战斗机。

此外，科威特将获得价值 80 亿美元的低级防空和导弹防御雷达，用于探测短程威胁；而约旦的 7050 万美元援助计划则侧重于飞机维修和零部件，以维护其现有机队。

这些销售情况表明，美国正在大力构建多层防空系统，该系统能够探测和拦截不同距离的威胁。

由于美国防空系统的使用速度超过了库存补充的速度，分析人士担心这一需求正在出现。

伊芙·桑普森是一名记者，也是一名前陆军军官。她曾报道过世界各地的冲突，为《纽约时报》、《华盛顿邮报》和美联社撰稿。