Qatar To Acquire Helicopters, Weapons Worth $3 Billion From U.S

Qatar is looking to acquire 24 AH-64D APACHE Block III LONGBOW Attack Helicopters from the U.S in a deal estimated to be worth $3 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military sale to Qatar which has placed an order for 12 AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars (FCR) with Radar Electronics Unit (LONGBOW component), 27 AN/AAR-11 Modernized Pilot Night Vision Sensors, , 12 AN/APR-48A Radar Frequency Interferometers, 28 AN/AAR-57(V)7 Common Missile Warning Systems and 30 AN/AVR-2B Laser Detecting Sets among others. The sales will also include M206 infrared countermeasure flares, M211 and M212 Advanced Infrared Countermeasure Munitions (AIRCM) flares, training devices, helmets, simulators, generators, transportation, wheeled vehicles and organization equipment, spare and repair parts, support equipment, tools and test equipment, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The Qatari Armed Forces (QAF) will replace its aging airframes with multi-mission attack helicopters, capable of meeting its requirements for close air support, armed reconnaissance and anti-tank warfare missions with the new weapons. Qatar has also expressed an interest in a Technical Assistance Fielding Team for in-country pilot and maintenance training. To support the requirement a team of 12 personnel (one military team leader and 11 contractors) would be deployed to Qatar for approximately three years.