Kathmandu. The F-35 stealth jets are considered to be the result of one of the most ambitious and expensive military aviation development programs that the United States of America has ever undertaken. The Heritage Foundation called it “the most lethal and cost-effective fighter in or nearing production within the NATO Alliance.”

The F-35 Lightning II is largely considered to be the most dominant fighter jet that is currently in operation. The fifth generation fighter jet has been hailed for its stealth and is equipped with “advanced stealth, integrated avionics, sensor fusion and superior logistics support — with the most powerful and comprehensive integrated sensor package.” To sum it up, these lethal jets could provide a substantial edge during strategic engagements and situations of combat.

The Trump administration has been pushing to sell the F-35 to the United Arab Emirates (the UAE), even though Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been openly opposed to the deal. For Netanyahu, selling such advanced weaponry to a Middle Eastern country is a matter of concern for its own position in the region, while Washington has maintained that this was a way to broker peace in favor of Israel and urge the Palestinians towards negotiations with the Israeli government.

In September, President Donald Trump stated that he had no problem is selling the F-35 jets to the UAE, claiming that, “They’re very wealthy countries for the most part, like the UAE, and they would like to buy the fighter jets, and I personally would have no problem with it”, adding for a good measure that “Some people do, they say maybe they go to war.” The US Congress, partially in view of Israel’s position, was and still remains skeptical of the deal, and had claimed during the early stages of the talks, conducted between the US and the UAE, that it would monitor the deal closely.

Now two prominent Democratic members of the Congress, Bob Menendez and Jack Reed, have sent a letter to the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raising questions on the President’s rationale on the subject. The UAE has close security ties with both China and Russia, and it purchases high-tech weapons from the nations. The duo inquired whether Abu Dhabi was willing to sever the deals it has made with China and Russia to buy the F-35 from the US. While the administration has attempted to move almost at a “breakneck speed” to guarantee that the deal goes through, Menendez and Reed have called it a move inspired by political motivations more so than a step that could ensure regional peace and security. Moreover, they have cautioned that this deal may compromise the safety of the American military itself.

The Times of Israel echoed this view in a report published on October 13, writing that the deals that the US has been trying to secure with the UAE and Bahrain could in effect launch an arms race in the region. According to Reuters, Qatar has also joined the list of states that have submitted a formal request to purchase the F-35 fighter jets. The fact that this could sufficiently agitate Saudi Arabia and Israel, both of whom are US allies, has also been noted.

F-35 fighter jets are incredibly advanced when looking at the current developments in military aviation technology. The current US administration has been focused on fast-tracking the deal with UAE and has been receiving further requests from other Middle Eastern countries. The deals could pose a risk not only to the US national security but also to the US allies in the Middle East, and this provides sufficient grounds for the concerns to emerge.