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More specifically, the deal includes two full THAAD batteries, 96 missiles, two Raytheon AN/TPY-2 radars, 30 years’ worth of spare parts, and support and training to the UAE.128 The deal was announced during Iran’s execution of the Velayat-90 naval exercises during which Iran tested missiles, mines, and other naval assets. Moreover, this deal follows a 2011 $1.7 billion US commercial contract to upgrade Saudi Patriot anti-missile systems, and a $900 million US sale of 209 Patriot missiles to Kuwait.129 The transfer of missile defense systems of this scale and sophistication is unprecedented, and they reflect the threat perceptions of both the US and its regional allies in the Gulf regarding Iran’s robust ballistic missile capabilities. These arms transfers and others like them to virtually every Arab Gulf State represent a trend in Gulf procurement that began in the mid-1990s. Given the strong presence of US and other conventional forces in the region, any Iranian successes, while damaging and disruptive, would be limited in scope and duration by the overwhelming conventional power of the US and its allies. They have also been supported by a steady increase in joint exercises between US forces, Gulf and other Arab forces, and European air and naval forces. These developments make it clear that US is determined to outfit America’s Gulf allies with some of the most advanced systems available in the pursuit of security in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Moreover, these arms transfers and the joint military exercises in the Gulf, emphasize interoperability between US and Arab Gulf forces. In light of recent heightened tensions between the US and Iran over the Gulf and the presence of US forces in the region, these statements send a subtle, yet clear message that the US fully intends to bolster its military ties with its allies in the Gulf, an objective that includes supplying them with advanced weapons systems. This aid will provide the armed forces of the US’ allies in the Gulf with a qualitative superiority over their Iranian counterparts. More broadly, the US has taken a multifaceted approach to confronting Iran’s allies and proxies. In addition to direct military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US equipped and trained the security forces and intelligence services of regional allies and client states such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Lebanon, and Kuwait to provide a counterweight to Iran and its own proxies. Notable examples include US assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces, Saudi Arabia’s campaign against the Houthi rebels along its border with Yemen, and US efforts to train and equip Iraq’s security forces in counterinsurgency tactics.130131132 Lastly, the US took steps to curb 128
Wolf, Jim. “U.S. in $3.5 Billion Arms Sale to UAE Amid Iran Tensions.” Reuters. December 31, 2011. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/31/us-usa-uae-iran-idUSTRE7BU0BF20111231 129
Wolf, Jim. “U.S. in $3.5 Billion Arms Sale to UAE Amid Iran Tensions.” Reuters. December 31, 2011. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/31/us-usa-uae-iran-idUSTRE7BU0BF20111231 130
Arrott, Elizabeth. “Saudi Arabia Says Houthi Rebels Forced Out.” Voice of America. January 27, 2010 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Saudi-Arabia-Says-Houthi-Rebels-Forced-Out-82801117.html 131
US Congressional Research Service. US Security Assistance to Lebanon (R40485, January 19, 2011), by Casey L. Addis. http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/R40485.pdf 132
July 2011 SIGIR Report: Quarterly Report and Semiannual Report to the United States Congress. July 30, 2011 http://www.sigir.mil/files/quarterlyreports/July2011/Report_-_July_2011.pdf
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