Qatar to buy $11bn worth of US arms

Qatar will buy US patriot missile batteries and Apache helicopters in an arms deal worth $11 billion, senior officials at the US Pentagon said yesterday.

According to the US officials, Qatar will receive 10 radars, 34 launchers for Patriot systems designed to counter any missile attack, 24 Apache helicopters and Javelin anti-tank missiles.

Qatar has decided to buy the missile defence systems to confront any threat from Iran to the Gulf region.

The Qatari Minister of Defence Maj. Gen. Hamad Bin Ali Al-Atiyyah signed the deal in Washington yesterday following talks with his US counterpart Chuck Hagel, AFP reported.

Officials said the US wants to preserve its role as “the favourite defence supplier” for Qatar and other Gulf countries.

The Qatari deal will enhance the US economy as it will reportedly create 54,000 jobs, the Pentagon said.

The deal came on the heels of Hagel’s visit to Qatar in December, as well as talks in May between Hagel and his Qatari counterpart.