A Boeing KC-46A Pegasus takes off at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Oct. 25, 2018. (US Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)
BEIRUT — The US State Department has approved a potential foreign military sale of four KC-46A refueling aircraft to Qatar in a deal worth $4.5 billion.
“The proposed sale will increase Qatar’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing its defense capabilities and interoperability with U.S. and allied forces and reinforcing Qatar’s strategic role in regional security,” the department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said today in a congressional notification announcing the potential deal.
In addition to the four planes, the deal would also include the sale of eight PW4062 turbofan engines, half of which will be installed in the aircraft and the other half to be kept as spare parts; ten AN/ALR-69A radar warning receivers; fifteen Guardian Laser Transmitter Assemblies (GTLA) for the aircraft’s infrared countermeasures; and eight Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) system processor replacements.
The deal also includes missile warning sensors, Identification Friend or Foe transponders, navigation systems, other spare parts and training aids.
