Reuters reported that Qatar has submitted a formal request to the United States to purchase F-35 stealth fighters (F-35) manufactured by the American company Lockheed Martin.
Today, the agency quoted 3 sources, which it described as well-informed, that Qatar has submitted an application to acquire these advanced aircraft during the past few weeks.
It also quoted a US State Department spokesman as saying that his country does not confirm or comment on defense sales proposals until they are notified to Congress.
She referred to the close relations between Qatar and the United States, and mentioned in this context that Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani met last month with his American counterpart Mike Pompeo in Washington, in light of an American tendency to declare Qatar a strategic ally from outside the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ).
The agency noted that the price of the F-35A, the fifth generation of the stealth aircraft, is estimated at $ 80 million.
Reuters said that negotiations to conclude such deals usually take several years.