Special to WorldTribune.com

ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates has expressed interest in
acquiring the Joint Strike Fighter.

Industry sources said the UAE leadership has been quietly discussing the
prospect of acquiring the F-35 fighter-jet from the United States. They said
JSF was raised by UAE officials and military officers in several forums over
the last year.

“The UAE wants to be part of JSF, and eventually share in technology and
co-production,” a source said.

The sources said UAE Air Force officers were briefed on the F-35 program
during IDEX-2013, which took place in Abu Dhabi in February. They said the UAE proposed becoming a regional hub for maintenance and marketing of JSF to Gulf Cooperation Council states.

“The UAE feels it’s ready for a fifth-generation fighter, which could
serve as the basis for its new aerospace sector,” the source said. “The
other planes available are considered poor alternatives.”

So far, the United States has not rejected the prospect of a UAE
procurement of the F-35. But the sources said that in recent discussions
U.S. officials and military officers stressed that existing orders could keep Abu Dhabi from acquiring JSF until at least 2020.

Over the last five years, JSF has encountered repeated delays in testing
and production. So far, Israel has been the only country outside of the
United States to order the F-35, the price of which has not been set.

  co-production of Joint Strike Fighter, F-35, IDEX-2013, United Arab Emirates is taking an interest in the F-35