Delivery was halted in early 2011, however, as the peaceful, youth-led uprisings of the Yemeni Arab Spring quickly devolved into a violent battle and forced the U.S. military to suspend its cooperation and evacuate personnel from the country.

Recent stability, however, has allowed Washington to ease some restrictions. “Given the election of a new president and Yemen’s critical security needs, earlier this year we gradually resumed our suspended security assistance for components of the Yemeni military that are engaged in the fight against Al-Qaeda,” says Navy Cmdr. Bill Speaks, a Pentagon representative. In July, the U.S. secretaries of State and Defense approved $23.4 million to enhance the YAF’s fixed-wing capability to conduct counterterrorism operations by providing training and equipment, including two short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft and support to CASA CN-235 cargo/transport aircraft, he says.