Recognizing shared strategic interests and priorities, the UAE and US signed a formal defense cooperation agreement in 1994 – updated in May 2019 – providing for joint training and exercises, the prepositioning of US military equipment in the UAE and the transfer of advanced weapons systems.
In 2025, UAE and US officials signed a letter of intent to establish a comprehensive US-UAE Major Defense Partnership. This development builds on President Trump’s recognition of the UAE as a Major Security Partner in 2021 and President Biden’s designation of the UAE as a Major Defense Partner in 2024. The UAE-US defense partnership represents one of America's most significant security relationships in the Middle East, with bilateral defense trade exceeding $29 billion in government-to-government sales.
The UAE consistently ranks among the top purchasers of US defense equipment globally, with major acquisitions including advanced fighter aircraft, missile defense systems, precision-guided munitions, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Most recently, the Trump administration approved $1.4 billion in military sales to the UAE in early 2025 – to include CH-47 F Chinook helicopters and parts and support for F-16s – underscoring the continued strength of the defense relationship. The UAE will use these systems to support rescue, disaster relief, humanitarian support and counterterrorism operations.
This robust defense trade relationship not only strengthens UAE defensive capabilities but also supports tens of thousands of American jobs across the defense industrial base, from manufacturing facilities to research and development centers.
Other recent significant sales that are in various stages of case development and implementation include: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft; MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft; Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles; Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missiles; both new and refurbished AH-64E helicopters; Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures systems; MK-82, MK-84, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, GBU-58 Paveway II, and KMU-572 JDAM munitions; and AIM-120C8 AMRAAM, AGM-154C JSOW, AGM-154E JSOW-ER, AGM-88E AARGM, Patriot, Javelin, AIM-9X Sidewinder, and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.