WASHINGTON, United States: The United States and Qatar have signed a major arms deal worth $11 billion, under which the US will provide Apache attack helicopters and Patriot and Javelin air-defence systems.
The deal was signed at the Pentagon by the US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel and Qatar’s defense minister Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah.
Under the deal, the US will provide Qatar with roughly 10 batteries for Patriot systems designed to knock out incoming missiles, as well as 24 Apache helicopters and 500 Javelin anti-tank missiles.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said that the agreement underscores the strong partnership between the United States and Qatar in the area of security and defence and will help improve our bilateral cooperation across arange of military operations.
