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ARMY Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, New York, was awarded a $2,625,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 1.25 million courses of a monoclonal antibody therapeutic (a combination of casirivimab and imdevimab) for COVID-19. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Tarrytown, New York, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 11, 2022. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $2,625,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-21-C-0014). (Awarded Jan. 12, 2021) International Business Machines Corp., Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $17,758,596 modification (P00094) to contract W52P1J-17-C-0008 for services and solutions to support and maintain the General Fund Enterprise Business System Financial System Army-wide. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 15, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds; and 2020 and 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $17,758,596 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. NAVY Data Link Solutions LLC, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (N00039-21-A-1001); and DRS Laurel Technologies Partnership, Johnstown, Pennsylvania (N00039-21-A-1002), are each awarded $150,000,000 firm-fixed-price blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) for electronic equipment cabinets. These BPAs cover the production of up to 150 units per contractor along with the associated program management, testing and logistics support to deliver the units. Units will be manufactured in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Johnstown, Pennsylvania, with an expected completion date of January 2023. The total potential value of these BPAs is $150,000,000 per vendor. The total length of the ordering period is 24 months. Fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds will be obligated on a delivery order level issued under the BPA at the time of placement of individual delivery calls. These BPAs were negotiated using the procedures defined under Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.5 for individual orders less than $15,000,000. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. General Electric Aviation, Lynn, Massachusetts, is awarded a $101,470,782 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00015) to previously awarded contract N00019-18-C-1007. This modification procures 21 T408-GE-400 turboshaft engines and associated engine, programmatic and logistics services in support of CH-53K Lot Five low rate initial production aircraft. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed in December 2024. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount $101,470,782 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. MN-BMCD SE JV, Tampa, Florida, is awarded a maximum-value $60,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract for professional architectural and engineering services in support of waterfront projects in the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for preparation of professional architectural and engineering services for preparation of design-bid-build documents and design-build requests for proposals for various project types in support of waterfront and marine facilities at Department of Defense (DOD) and non-DOD activities in the NAVFAC Southeast AOR. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance (Navy) and military construction (Navy) funds. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps installations in the NAVFAC Southeast AOR including, but not limited to Florida (30%); Georgia (30%); Andros Island, Bahamas (10%); Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (10%); South Carolina (5%); Louisiana (5%); Mississippi (5%); and Texas (5%), and is expected to be completed by February 2026. An initial task order to conduct a site engineering investigation and concept design workshop for P-021 lighterage wharf and lift-launch pier at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, Florida, is included with the award and is expected to be completed by April 2021. Fiscal 2021 military construction (Navy) funds in the amount of $202,780 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-21-D-0002). Chatmon-VJR JV LLC,* La Place, Louisiana, is awarded a maximum-value $49,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for roofing projects at various military installations in the metropolitan San Diego, California, area, including Naval Base Coronado, Naval Base Point Loma, Naval Base San Diego, and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. No task orders are being issued at this time. The work to be performed is for repair, removal and replacement of roofing systems at various military installations in the metro San Diego area. Projects may include, but are not limited to, roofing services with minimal design requirements for new minor construction, facility repair, rehabilitation and alterations for a broad range of renovation and construction work. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance (Navy) funds. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to completed by January 2026. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-21-D-2601). Essex Electro Engineers Inc.,* Schaumburg, Illinois, is awarded a $46,638,225 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for the production and delivery of up to a maximum quantity of 575 land-based mobile electric power plant units to provide 120KVA 115 VAC 400 Hz/270VDC/28VDC electric power to support general aircraft maintenance for all Navy aircraft platforms. Work will be performed in Schaumburg, Illinois, and is expected to be completed in January 2027. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured as a small business set-aside and five offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-21-D-0049). Team Corp., Burlington, Washington, is awarded a $26,417,062 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract provides 24 environmental testing systems that simulate the effects of climatic, induced thermal, dynamic and loads environments. The environmental testing systems support the development, design, environmental qualification, airworthiness, product improvement and failure investigations of Department of Defense weapon and target systems. The scope of this requirement is to design, manufacture, test and install the environmental testing systems. Support services include lead system integration, building and laboratory design specifications support, project management, equipment installation and training. Work will be performed in Burlington, Washington (50%); and China Lake, California (50%), and is expected to be completed in January 2024. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $26,417,062 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, Point Mugu, California, is the contracting activity (N68936-21-C-0032). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Puerto Rico Apparel Manufacturing Corp.,** Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $12,775,524 modification (P00026) exercising the second one-year option period of one-year base contract SPE1C1-19-D-1127 with four one-year option periods for various types of coats and trousers. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with a Jan. 15, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. San Antonio Light House for the Blind,*** San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $8,295,000 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for trousers. This is a one-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is Texas, with a Jan. 13, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-21-D-B101). *Small business **Economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business in historically underutilized business zones ***Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2471330/source/GovDelivery/

By Ed Adamczyk Jan. 13 (UPI) -- A $325 million U.S. Air Force contract to support E-8C surveillance planes in the Joint STARS program was announced on Wednesday by Northrop Grumman. The contract executes the Total System Support Responsibility program for the fleet of 16 planes in the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, or JSTARS. The E-8C planes are modified from the Boeing707-300 series commercial airliner, and carry a variety of specialized radar, communications, operations and control subsystems. The contract includes program management, engineering technical support, aircrew and maintenance training, supply chain and spares management, technical data and publications, program depot maintenance and overall customer support, Northrop Grumman said in a press release. The planes are elements of the 116th and 461st Air Control Wings at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., and in overseas forward operating locations. The JSTARS program, developed by the U.S. Air Force and Army, has been in place since 1996, providing surveillance and target acquisition radar, and serving as an airborne command and control center. It was announced in 2019 that a replacement for the system, the Advanced Battle Management System family of platforms, is underdevelopment, but members of the U.S. Congress have shown reluctance to retire JSTARS. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/01/13/Northrop-Grumman-lands-325M-deal-for-Air-Force-JSTARS-sustainment/5351610556602

By: The Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. — Aerial drone manufacturer Insitu will pay $25 million to settle allegations that its military drones were outfitted with used components instead of new ones. U.S. attorney Brian Moran said cases such as this one should be seen as a warning to defense contractors that false claims have no place in military purchasing. Moran announced the settlement Tuesday, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. The allegations originated with a former Insitu manager, D R O'Hara, who filed a whistleblower complaint in federal court and will receive $4.6 million of the settlement. Investigators, who took over the case under provisions of the whistleblower law, allege that Insitu billed the military for new parts and components but actually used less expensive recycled and refurbished parts. Insitu said it cooperated with the investigation and that its disclosures to the government met all requirements. “At all times, Insitu provided superior ISR services to the Navy and Special Operations Command, a fact the government does not dispute,” the company said in a statement. “Insitu continues to provide mission-ready systems and supports the nation's warfighters by providing world-class service.” Owned by Boeing, Insitu is based in the town of Bingen, Washington, along the Columbia River. It employs about 1,500 people with two-thirds of them in the Bingen and Hood River, Oregon, area. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2021/01/13/drone-maker-to-pay-25m-over-military-gear-parts/

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — California topped the list of states receiving defense dollars in 2019, a period in which overall Pentagon contracts and payroll spending in the 50 states and Washington, D.C., totaled $550.9 billion, the Department of Defense revealed Wednesday. Of that total, $403.9 billion (73 percent) were from contracts, with the remaining $146.9 billion (27 percent) tied up in DoD personnel salaries. Overall, defense spending represented 2.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product, according to a department statement accompanying the data. The numbers, released annually, are generally included in the case made by pro-defense lawmakers and Pentagon supporters for the benefits of a large defense budget. They come as defense spending is expected to be flat, with some progressives in Congress pushing President-elect Joe Biden to cut defense funding to support social programs instead. “The report compiled by the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation can be a great tool to state and local officials,” Ellen Lord, undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, said in a statement. “All of our work is aimed at supporting the National Defense Strategy and this report is key as we look to continue defense reform and modernization efforts.” The top 10 states are: California: $66.2 billion Virginia: $60.3 billion Texas: $54.8 billion Florida: $29.8 billion Maryland: $26.1 billion Connecticut: $19.7 billion Pennsylvania: $18.1 billion Washington: $17.8 billion Alabama: $16.0 billion Massachusetts: $15.8 billion California, Virginia and Texas historically rank among the top states in defense dollars. California is home to a significant aerospace presence, with all the major players in that sector bringing in large chunks of cash for their in-state work. Virginia's top firm was the major shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries, but the state largely brought in funding for being the corporate home for many major defense firms — and for their lobbying efforts. And 41 percent of Texas' total comes from Lockheed Martin contracts; the company's Fort Worth facilities produce the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, among other materiel. The top 10 overall contractors for the year were: Lockheed Martin: $45.6 billion Boeing: $25.7 billion Northrop Grumman: $19.5 billion General Dynamics: $18.6 billion Raytheon: $15.7 billion United Technologies: $10.3 billion BAE Systems: $7.3 billion Huntington Ingalls Industries: $6.7 billion Humana: $6.7 billion L3 Technologies: $4.9 billion https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2021/01/13/california-top-state-recipient-of-defense-dollars

Lee Hudson January 13, 2021 The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a $1.6 billion contract modification for 12 KC-46A tanker aircraft and anticipates the work will wrap up in April 2023. The order for 12 aircraft is the sixth production lot, which means Boeing is now on contract for 79 KC-46As. The first KC-46 was delivered to the Air Force in January 2019. The funding for the Lot 6 deal is from the fiscal 2020 budget. The company is still awaiting a contract modification for 15 aircraft that are funded in fiscal 2021. “The investments Boeing is making in the KC-46 today will benefit generations of service members,” Jamie Burgess, Boeing KC-46 tanker vice president and program manager, said in a Jan. 12 statement. “I believe the partnership between Boeing and the Air Force will also produce additional KC-46 innovations that will carry the warfighter well into the future.” This year will mark a major decision point for the program because the Air Force expects to decide on a new projection method for the remote vision system (RVS), a technology akin to virtual or augmented reality. To correct a “rubber-sheeting” effect that distorts the image on a visual display used by the boom operator during refueling operations, the Air Force is considering a liquid-crystal display screen or a “collimated mirror design” for the RVS projection method. Once a projection design is selected, a laboratory will build a system to test each new component. Doing ground testing will give the team confidence before installing the new equipment on the actual aircraft. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/boeing-wins-16-billion-us-air-force-kc-46-order?elq2=57a289d9235b4bbf82af3324d06072f1

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) a ajouté à la mi-décembre à son équipe canadienne de lobbyistes Jon Mack, Senior Partner du... https://www.intelligenceonline.fr/renseignement-d-affaires/2021/01/13/iai-veut-voir-ses-drones-se-poser-a-ottawa,109633787-art

La ministre des Armées, Florence Parly, répondant à une question lors de son audition à l'Assemblée nationale mardi 12 janvier, a indiqué que le drone MALE européen, ou Eurodrone, n'intégrerait pas les forces de l'armée de l'Air et de l'Espace avant 2028. La ministre a estimé qu'une capacité intermédiaire n'était pas nécessaire. La France dispose déjà de ces capacités avec les drones américains Reaper, dont l'achat a été décidé en 2013. En outre, Mme Parly a rappelé que le ministère des Armées a prévu de doter l'armée de Terre de drones tactiques, les SDT Patroller, développés par Safran Electronics & Defense, qui seront « livrés à nos forces en 2021 ». La Tribune du 14 janvier

By Arnaud Sobrero The Japanese archipelago lies in a volatile region rife with historical tensions and territorial disputes. China's defense spending has increased at a double-digit rate annually for much of the past three decades. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has drastically modernized its air capabilities with development of the J-20 fighter and the upcoming FC-31, and has demonstrated consistently assertive behavior, including airspace violations and military buildups in the South China Sea. North Korea, a nuclear power since 2006, has also shown belligerence by firing ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, while Russia has violated Japanese airspace on several occasions prompting Japan to scramble its F-15J fleet. Those geopolitical challenges are clearly stated in Japan's Mid Term Defense Plan and National Defense Plan Guidelines, which define Japan's long-term procurement strategy. To effectively address those security challenges, these documents claim, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) needs to modernize its existing fleet and significantly upgrade its capabilities. Japan's 200-plus-strong F-15J fleet, built under license by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has been the backbone of Japan's air superiority for close to 40 years. Nonetheless, they face some obsolescence issues that have led the Japanese defense ministry to purchase a $4.5 billion upgrade package to modernize 98 of them into a “Japan Super Interceptor” configuration equipped with better radar, avionics, and weaponry. The F-2 program, co-developed with Lockheed Martin, has been facing operational challenges and has a staggering unit cost of $170 million. Even though the last F-2 was delivered in 2011, the program faces significant obsolescence issues and will remain in service for a shorter duration than the F-15J. Given the dynamic geopolitical environment Japan finds itself in, the Japanese defense ministry is determined to fill the capability gap created by the old F-15J and the future retirement of the F-2. It has decided to purchase its first batch of 42 F-35As, destined to replace the aging F-4, followed by a second batch comprised of 63 F-35A and 42 F-35B fighters, worth $23 billion. The F-35 is a formidable addition to Japan's military apparatus: it offers stealth, excellent sensor and networking capabilities,and an ability to fuse real-time information for rapid decision-making rather than high speed and pure dogfighting capabilities. From a traditional standpoint, the F-35 scarcely represents the air superiority platform the JASDF wants to counter China's growing fleet of J-11 fighters, or even the more advanced platforms recently deployed by Beijing, such as the Su-35 or J-20. Japan has tried to acquire the F-22 from Lockheed Martin but ultimately failed to do so, given that the aircraft was not designed for export due to its sensitive technologies. The JASDF is still looking to acquire a stealthy, twin-engine, long-range air superiority fighter with a robust payload and advanced networking capabilities, which will provide Japan with a qualitative military edge over growing Chinese air capabilities. ADVERTISEMENT Beyond the requirement of modernizing JASDF's capabilities, maintaining a competitive defense industrial base has been a primary strategic goal for Japan. After the Second World War, Japan spent decades rebuilding its aerospace sector, building U.S. military aircraft under license, including the F-86, F-4, F-15, CH-47, and P-3. Building sophisticated aircraft under license has been Japan's de facto strategy to acquire new technologies and upgrade its industrial base skills. Japan has historically relied on U.S. companies to import military hardware through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) framework. These imports have increased considerably in the last decade, its proportion of the country's total defense budget rising from 0.9 percent in 2010 to 8.9 percent in 2019 with big-ticket items like the F-35, the MV-22, and the E-2D being procured through the government-to-government route. Outside of servicing those types of equipment, tier 1 and tier 2 domestic companies have not benefited from those FMS programs. Japanese companies face restrictions on sharing some critical software intellectual property and technical data from equipment that has originated in the U.S. original. Even Japan's industrial participation in the manufacture of the F-35 has been a far cry from what the local industry had envisioned initially, when Japanese companies were seeking a larger role in the aircraft's production. Recently, in a blow to U.S. military exports, the Japanese defense ministry has decided to scrap two major programs – the Global Hawk and the Aegis Ashore – due to some price and technical issues. These developments may suggest that Japan is potentially reconsidering its engagement with the U.S. on military hardware and could utilize government funds instead for domestic development to enhance the competitiveness of its defense industrial base and, more importantly, gain full control of defense capabilities, as well as on future upgrades. According to the ministry of defense's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency, Japan is looking to leverage the technologies the industry has captured through license production, as well as the development of the experimental ATD-X stealth aircraft, for the development of an indigenous fighter, known as F-X. This would represent a shift in Japan's long-term procurement strategy and could indicate that Japan is now looking to partner for the design and manufacturing of sixth-generation fighter aircraft technologies. After former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's return to power in 2012, he stopped years of decline in defense spending by boosting investments modestly. After eight years of slow but steady increase, the Japanese defense budget stands at a record of about $51.6 billion with the FY21 budget request. In addition, the Japanese defense ministry decided to “convert” its Izumo helicopter destroyer into a small aircraft carrier capable of accommodating 12 F-35B jet fighters, which will strengthen Japan's offensive capabilities. Following the lift of the ban on defense exports, Japan had seen last year its first successful military export, with the sale of air radar systems to the Philippines. Japan would likewise welcome an opportunity to export the F-X, its future sixth-generation fighter, with the assistance of an international partner – if not to promote military ties with friendly nations, then in order to reduce the tremendous development cost. Of all the challenges the F-X program will face, its affordability will be the most pressing. The F-X program represents a clear continuation of Abe's robust defense doctrine and will further cement its legacy into Japan's long-term military modernization. By bolstering the country's domestic defense industrial base and by enabling technological transfer, the F-X program will help Japan catch up with China and Russia in the stealth fighter market. Based in Asia for more than 10 years, Arnaud Sobrero is an independent writer focused on defense technology and East Asian affairs. https://thediplomat.com/2021/01/does-japan-need-to-develop-a-new-fighter-aircraft/

By: Joe Gould WASHINGTON ― A small, 2-year-old nonprofit think tank has taken a step that most advocacy organizations never dare try: It has sued the U.S. State Department to derail a $23 billion arms sale to the United Arab Emirates. In a legal claim announced last month, the New York Center For Foreign Policy Affairs asserted that the Trump administration failed to provide a reasonable explanation for its decision to sell F-35 fighter jets and other weapons to the UAE, which places it in breach of the Administrative Procedure Act. It has asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to find the sale invalid. The case is unusual, as is the theory of the case, but so is the Trump administration's approach to the sale, said Brittany Benowitz, a legal expert on human rights and arms trade. Such legal challenges rarely succeed, but if this one does, it could halt the deal even if Washington and Abu Dhabi follow through with plans to sign contracts in the waning days of the Trump administration. “If you can say this deal was executed improperly and the contractor was on notice of that, which they are, then I think you can say it's possible to stop the sale before delivery,” Benowitz said. The State Department declined to comment on the pending litigation, in line with its policy. The new lawsuit against the State Department came after a failed attempt in Congress to block the sale of 50 Lockheed Martin-made F-35 aircraft, 18 General Atomics-made MQ–9B Reaper drones and Raytheon Technologies-made munitions. The Senate narrowly rejected a challenge to the sale amid arguments from the administration that the sales would make the UAE more interoperable with partners and defend itself from “heightened threats from Iran.” Opponents said the fast-tracked process was incomplete, leaving questions about the security of U.S. weapons technology, the potential of sparking a Middle Eastern arms race, and the potential for the weapons to be used in Yemen and Libya; these arguments were echoed in the lawsuit. The State Department came under scrutiny for irregularities in a previous sale. Its inspector general, who was later fired, found that a separate “emergency” sale of $8 billion in precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia and the UAE failed to “fully assess” or mitigate the risk of civilian casualties in Yemen. To boot, Saudi Arabia and the UAE reportedly breached arms sale agreements with the U.S. by transferring American materiel to al-Qaida-linked fighters and other militant factions in Yemen. Lawmakers have also called for an an investigation into reporting that the UAE may have transferred American-made Javelin anti-armor missiles to the Libyan National Army in violation of a United Nations arms embargo. “What we're saying is that the State Department rushed this through without congressional oversight, they didn't follow their own rules and they didn't apply the same metrics that would guide approval to others,” said Justin Russell, the director of the New York Center For Foreign Policy Affairs. The organization conducts advocacy and research on the conflicts in Libya and Yemen. “Congress tried to block [the sale] on the same merits and when that legislation failed, we said, ‘Wait a minute, we've got to stand up and do something.'” The Administrative Procedure Act allows a court to “hold unlawful and set aside any agency action ... found to be in arbitrary, capricious, an abseils of discretion or otherwise not in accordance with the law.” Here, the lawsuit argues the State Department didn't find, as required under the Arms Export Control Act, that the sale “will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace” ― or present “a reasoned explanation” for its actions as required by the Administrative Procedure Act. In 2019, the Campaign Against the Arms Trade won a U.K. Court of Appeal ruling to ban new arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The government has since renewed sales, and CAAT applied for judicial review into the legality of the U.K. government's decision to renew arms sales to Saudi Arabia. In the U.S., there has not been a successful court case of targeting government-to-government sales in recent years, according to Benowitz. What's also unusual about the New York Center For Foreign Policy Affairs' approach is that it doesn't rely on a human rights argument but rather points to aberrations in the process ― particularly past end-use violations that ought to have have disqualified the UAE, she said. “There have been court challenges to arms sales in the past on human rights grounds, but this challenge on national security grounds under the Administrative Procedure Act is unprecedented,” she said. “It's rare because we have never had a record of irregularities like the one we have now.” By Benowitz's reckoning, if a finalized deal is invalidated in the courts and it is found that the deal never should have been entered in the first place, its unlikely the U.S. could be penalized financially by the UAE. “To get a remedy, or damages, under contract law, you have to have ‘clean hands,' so it would be difficult for the Emiratis to recoup,” she said. https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2021/01/12/lawsuit-threatens-23b-weapons-sale-to-uae