Congress Blocks One UAE Arms Sale While Greenlighting Six Chinook Helicopters and Advanced Weapon Systems

This Joint Resolution is essentially Congress doing a foreign policy swap meet with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). On one hand, it formally blocks a proposed foreign military sale that was in the works. On the other, and far more significantly, it greenlights a massive, separate military equipment package detailed in Transmittal No. 24118.

The Fine Print of the Green Light

This resolution approves the transfer of six CH47F Block II Chinook helicopters to the UAE. These aren’t your average choppers; the bill specifies they come fully loaded with air-to-air refueling probes and extended-range fuel tanks, making them serious long-haul military assets. The package also includes sixteen T55GA714A engines and a host of advanced electronics. This is a clear signal of deepening military cooperation and a significant upgrade to the UAE’s operational capabilities.

What’s Included in the Tech Stack

The approved sale isn't just about the big metal. It includes sophisticated defensive and navigational gear that raises the stakes. We’re talking about eight AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS), which are critical for protecting the aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles, and fourteen GPS devices that use M-Code. M-Code is the military-grade, highly secure GPS signal, which is a big deal in terms of technology transfer. They are also getting twenty AN/ARC-231A secure radios and twenty M240 machine guns.

The All-Inclusive Support Package

For the US defense industry, this is a full-service contract. The resolution confirms that the sale includes everything needed to make the equipment operational: classified software, spare parts, technical documentation, and specialized gear like Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction Systems (FRIES). It also covers extensive training for UAE personnel and ongoing engineering support from US government and contractor teams. This means the commitment extends far beyond the initial shipment, embedding US support deep into the UAE’s military structure.

Congressional Oversight in Action

This resolution demonstrates Congress using its oversight power to manage foreign military sales. By explicitly blocking one sale while simultaneously approving another massive one, lawmakers are exercising a selective veto. For the average person, these kinds of international arms deals matter because they shape US foreign policy, impact regional stability, and directly fuel the US defense manufacturing sector. The immediate takeaway is that while Congress put the brakes on one specific transfer, it is pushing the accelerator on a major, advanced helicopter package to the UAE.