UAE says French fighter jets no substitute for US F-35
The head of the UAE's air force sought to clarify comments by France's President Emmanuel Macron last week.
![An F-35 fighter plane flies over the White House on June 12, 2019, in Washington DC.](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/2021-12/GettyImages-1149499365.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=V56K6VkR)
The defense ministry of the United Arab Emirates is expressing continued interest in US-made F-35 stealth fighter jets, despite a recent purchase of French warplanes.
Commander of the UAE’s air force and air defense told state news outlet over the weekend that last week’s deal for 80 French-made Rafale fighter jets was no substitute for the country’s intent to buy Lockheed-Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.