US plans to sell $1.96 billion of MQ-9 drones to Qatar
Qatar could become the first Gulf state to receive the drones, the sale of which the Pentagon has supported for years despite concerns within the State Department during the Biden administration.
WASHINGTON — The State Department on Wednesday said it notified Congress of plans to sell to Qatar eight MQ-9B drones, along with hundreds of bombs and JDAM guidance kits, worth a total of $1.96 billion.
The sale includes 200 KMU-572 JDAM guidance kits for GBU-38s or Laser JDAM GBU-54s, 500 BLU-111 500-pound GP bombs and 100 MXU-650 air foil groups for Paveway II GBU-12s, according to a press release by the Pentagon.
Why it matters: If permitted by Congress, the proposed sale could make Qatar the first Gulf state to obtain the US MQ-9B.
MQ-9 manufacturer General Atomics has also been in talks with the US government and Saudi Arabia over a major potential sale of the drones to Riyadh.
