Despite the ongoing illegal siege by neighbouring nations, Qatar has given wings to its defensive dreams by signing a $6.2bn contract with American company Boeing for 36 F-15 fighter jets.

This was confirmed by the Pentagon yesterday, according to Reuters.

The aircraft will be manufactured at a Boeing plant in St. Louis, Missouri, and are expected to be delivered to Qatar by the end of 2022, according to CNN.

“This contract provides for the foreign military sales requirement to procure 36 new F-15 aircraft for the Qatar Emiri Air Force,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

It had been announced on June 15, just 10 days after the start of the illegal blockade, that the value of the deal would be as high as $12bn. However, the cost factor seems to have come down now.

A deal to sell the fighters was signed in June, but had been several years in the making, reported the St. Louis Post-Despatch..

While the F-15, an aircraft originally developed by McDonnell Douglas, is assembled in St. Louis County by Boeing, a network of suppliers mean the job impact of a Qatar deal will be widespread.

In June, Qatar’s Defense Ministry had said the deal would create 60,000 jobs in 42 US states while reducing the burden on US forces.