The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Qatar of the MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.96 billion.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on 26 March 2025.
The Government of Qatar has requested to buy eight (8) MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA); two hundred (200) KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits for Guided Bomb Unit (GBU)-38 or Laser JDAM GBU-54; three hundred (300) BLU-111 500-lb general purpose bombs; one hundred (100) MXU-650 air foil groups (AFG) for Paveway II GBU-12; one hundred (100) MAU-169 computer control groups (CCG) for Paveway II GBU-12; twenty-eight (28) Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation System (INS) (EGI) security devices with M-Code; twelve (12) EGI security devices with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Modules (SAASM); ten (10) Lynx AN/APY-8 Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR); ten (10) L3 Rio Grande communications intelligence (COMINT) sensor suites; one hundred ten (110) AGM-114R2 Hellfire II missiles; and eight (8) M36E9 Hellfire Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM).
The following non-MDE items will also be included: Honeywell TPE-331 turboprop engines; Certifiable Ground Control Stations (CGCS); FMU-139D/B fuze systems; DSU-38 laser illuminated target detectors for GBU-54; KY-100M narrowband/wideband terminals; AN/PYQ-10 Simple Key Loaders (SKLs); Keying Identification Verification (KIV)-77 Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) cryptographic appliques; Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)-250X High Assurance Internet Protocol Encryptor (HAIPE) Type 1 cryptographic communications security (COMSEC) devices; Cryptographic Core Modernization (CCM)-700A Type 1 COMSEC chips; AN/DPX-7 IFF transponders; Link-16 KOR-24A Small Tactical Terminals (STTs); Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Electronic Surveillance Measure systems; AE-4500 Electronic Support Measure; Compact Multi-band Data Link (CMDL); Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver (ROVER) 6Si compatible systems; Common Munitions Built-in-Test Reprogramming Equipment (CMBRE) Plus Block II; Mayflower Multi-Platform Anti-Jam GPS Navigation Antennas (MAGNA)-I, AS-4841; imaging systems; Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Multi-Spectrum Targeting System (MTS); Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars (SeaSpray 7500 maritime radars); Due Regard Radar (DRR); Automatic Information System (AIS) transponders; Rohde & Schwartz Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) radios; satellite communications (SATCOM) ground station antennas, modems, and terminals with Unifi Security Gateway (USG) encryption; Ku-Band SATCOM GA-ASI Transportable Earth Stations (GATES); secure SATCOM systems; DSU-33D/B bomb components; M299 Longbow Hellfire launchers; weapons loading equipment; spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, and repair and return support; weapons integration; support and test equipment; facilities and construction support; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; transportation and airlift support; studies and surveys; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $1.96 billion.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.
The proposed sale will improve Qatar’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing timely intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, target acquisition, counter-land, and counter-surface sea capabilities for its security and defense. This capability is a deterrent to regional threats and will primarily be used to strengthen its homeland defense. Qatar will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its Armed Forces.
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The principal contractors will be General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, located in Poway, California; Lockheed Martin, located in Bethesda, Maryland; RTX Corporation, located in Waltham, Massachussets; L3Harris, Inc., located in Melbourne, Florida; Boeing Corporation, located in Arlington, Virginia; and Leonardo SpA, located in Rome, Italy. At this time, the U.S. Government is not aware of any offset agreement proposed in connection with this potential sale. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Qatar.
Source: Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA); File Photo: MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft © General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI)
