Qatar plays an active role in the collective defense efforts of the Gulf Cooperation Council; the other five members are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and Oman.

These accounts also suggest that a substantial portion of the arms trade during this period was marred by corruption, including instances of bribery.

In July 2008, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency announced Qatar's official request for logistics support, training, and associated equipment and services.

[17] According to Aljazeera news, in December 2016, Qatar deployed 1,000 ground troops in Yemen to fight on behalf of the ousted president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.

Qatari soldiers, backed by 200 armoured vehicles and 30 Apache helicopters, headed to Yemen's Marib province.

Initially outfitted with British weaponry, Qatar shifted much of its procurement to France during the 1980s in response to French efforts to develop closer relations.

[21] Qatar signed a contract with the German defence company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) for the delivery of 24 artillery systems PzH 2000 and 62 LEOPARD 2 main battle tanks.

Initially equipped with ex-RAF Hawker Hunters, the air force soon began expansion with six Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets in 1979.

Deliveries started in December 1997, and involved the buy back of the remaining 11 Mirage F1s by France that were later sold on to Spain.

British pilots in Oman remain on duty with the air force, and French specialists are employed in a maintenance capacity.

The past decade saw Qatar increase its air force with 96 planes from three different countries: the F-15 from the US, France's Rafale, and the Eurofighter Typhoon from the UK.

Additionally, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) will build 10 health centers in Afghanistan to serve hundreds of thousands of women and children.