The potential sale of counter-drone systems and other equipment to Qatar in a deal worth $1 billion with the United States was approved by Washington, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
The principal contractors will be Raytheon Technologies Corp., SRC and Northrop Grumman Corp., the Pentagon said in a statement. It added that the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Tuesday.
"The proposed sale will improve Qatar's capability to meet current and future threats by providing electronic and kinetic defeat capabilities against Unmanned Aircraft Systems," the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said separately in a statement.
"The total estimated program cost is $1 billion. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the U.S. by helping to improve the security of a friendly country," it added.
The announcement on the sale of the systems – Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS) – comes after repeated drone attacks claimed by Tehran-backed Houthi rebels elsewhere in the Gulf region and as Russian drone strikes against Ukrainian cities further highlight the threat posed by unmanned aircraft.
The sale approval also comes after U.S. President Joe Biden, earlier this year, designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally of the U.S., granting special status to a key friend in a turbulent region.
"Qatar is a good friend and reliable and capable partner. And I'm notifying Congress that I will designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally to reflect the importance of our relationship. I think it's long overdue," Biden said in January when he met Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Separately, Qatar has also played a role in the Iran nuclear talks and in relations with Afghanistan, where Washington's interests were considered by the small Gulf country.
The proposed sale will improve Qatar's capability to meet threats by providing electronic and kinetic defeat capabilities against drones, the Pentagon said.
It will require the assignment of five additional U.S. government and 15 U.S. contractor representatives to Qatar for five years to support fielding, training and sustainment activities, the statement added.
Despite approval by the State Department, the notification does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded.
The FS-LIDS system is equipped with SRC Technology’s AN/TPQ-50 air surveillance radar, counter-sUAS EW system and electro-optic/infrared camera.
These components help the system in detecting low flying and small moving UAS targets, classify them and offering electronic defeat capabilities.