Updated with quote from Boeing.
Qatar has signed a deal for 36 Boeing F-15QA fighter aircraft.
The deal is reportedly worth $12 billion, according to media reports quoting official Qatari sources.
The deal was finalised in Washington DC by Qatari defence minister Khalid Al Attiyah and US defence secretary Jim Mattis.
Attiyah says the deal reflects increased Qatari and US collaboration in the fight against terrorism. The aircraft will also increase interoperability between US and Qatari forces.
“We thank the Qatari and U.S. governments for moving forward with the F-15 agreement," says Boeing. "We are very grateful for their continued confidence in Boeing.”
In November 2016, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) expressed optimism that the deal would go through. The original number, however, was for 72 F-15QAs.
The F-15QA is an advanced variant of the two-seat F-15E Strike Eagle. Equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, it is effective in both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Qatar operates 12 Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft with an average age of 19.1 years. It also has orders for 24 Rafale fighters.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
