Nichols Martin
Qatar’s defense minister Khalid Bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah has said the country’s government looks to purchase nine BAE Systems-built Hawk trainer aircraft units, Dow Jones Newswires reported Wednesday.
The report noted Qatar had planned to buy only six Hawk jet trainers.
BAE closed on a potential $6.7 billion contract last month to supply 24 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar’s air force beginning in late 2022.
The British defense contractor produces the multirole aircraft through a joint venture with Airbus Group‘s defense and space business and Leonardo‘s aircraft division.
Qatar also intends to buy 72 Boeing-built F-15 aircraft through a $21 billion foreign military sales contract the State Department approved in 2016.
Al-Attiyah told Dow Jones that Qatar wants to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign nations for security and defense by investing in military technology.
