ASIAN DEFENCE: UAE

Showing posts with label UAE. Show all posts

Friday, February 3, 2012

First of Two Falaj 2 class Stealth Patol Vessel for the UAE Navy

9:50 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Fincantieri shipyard at Muggiano recently launched the “Ganthoot”, the first of two stealth patrol vessels included in the “Falaj 2” program in progress for the United Arab Emirates Navy who ordered them in 2010. The ship, whose name comes from a geographical area in the Emirates in the neighbourhood of Abu Dhabi, will be delivered in the last half of 2012.

United Arab Emirates May Buy More F-16s

1:38 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is now talking with Lockheed Martin about buying more F-16 fighter aircraft because France's offer of an advanced version of the Rafale combat jet is seen as too expensive, said a source familiar with the negotiations in the gulf.

United Arab Emirates Requests Sale of AH-64D Apache

11:42 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress November 3 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Arab Emirates of 30 AH-64D Block II lot 10 APACHE helicopters, remanufactured to AH-64D Block III configuration and 30 AH-64D Block III APACHE helicopters, as well as associated parts, equipment, training and logistical support for a complete package worth approximately $5.0 billion.

The Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested a possible sale of 30 AH-64D Block II lot 10 APACHE helicopters, remanufactured to AH-64D Block III configuration, 30 AH-64D Block III APACHE helicopters, 120 T700-GE-701D engines, 76 Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/Modernized Pilot Night Vision Sensors, 70 AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars with Radar Electronics Units, 70 AN/ALQ-144A(V)3 Infrared Jammers, 70 AN/APR-39A(V)4 Radar Signal Detecting Sets, 70 AN/ALQ-136(V)5 Radar Jammers, 70 AAR-57(V)3/5 Common Missile Warning Systems, 30mm automatic weapons, improved counter measure dispensers, communication and support equipment, improved helmet display sight systems, trainer upgrades, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $5.0 billion.

UAE displays upgraded Apache AH-64D Block II

10:57 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Boeing has completed work bringing the United Arab Emirates’ fleet of 30 Apache attack helicopters up to AH-64D Block II configuration, it has been announced. Speaking at the Dubai Helishow, Boeing director for rotorcraft business development, Mike Burke, said the company had remanufactured all 30 of the aircraft, which now feature the Longbow fire control radar and new fire control system. The UAE Army displayed one of its AH-64D Apaches at the static display here at the show. As well as the Longbow radar, the Apache fleet now incorporates the Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) electro-optical fire-control system and AGM-114L3 Hellfire II laser-guided missile. Burke said the upgrade to the fleet, carried out under a contract with Boeing that was signed in 2006, was made possible by the ‘plug and play’ nature of the Apache.Boeing was awarded a $247 million contract on 22 October for the initial production of eight Apache Block III aircraft, with the delivery of the first scheduled for October 2011.

Finmeccanica’s M-346 AJT

5:12 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Alenia’s Aermacchi’s M-346 advanced jet trainer began life in 1993, as a collaboration with Russia. It was also something of a breakthrough for Alenia Aermacchi, confirming that the Finmeccanica subsidiary could design and manufacture advanced aircraft with full authority quadriplex Fly-by-Wire controls, without outside help. Those controls, the aircraft’s design for vortex lift aerodynamics, and a thrust:weight ratio of nearly 1:1, allow it to remain fully controllable even at angles of attack over 35 degrees. This is useful for simulating the capabilities of advanced 4+ generation fighters like the F/A-18 Super Hornet, Eurofighter, and Rafale. Not to mention Sukhoi’s SU-30 family, which has made a name for itself at international air shows with remarkable nose-high maneuvers.

UAE threatens to kick Canada out of covert military base Camp Mirage

6:42 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

It was during a secret meeting in Paris this September that Canada realized there was little room for a compromise that would enable its Afghanistan-bound troops to keep using a covert military base near Dubai.The Canadian government is now preparing to relocate forces from the United Arab Emirates to somewhere such as Cyprus rather than give in to what it considers unreasonable demands from the host country.The prospect of a time-consuming move to a potentially costlier and more distant staging location has Defence officials angry and frustrated. The Forces are already engrossed in complicated logistical preparations to withdraw from Afghanistan next year.

Dispute over Article: UAE Freezes Talks for Purchase of Rafale Fighter Jet

12:24 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

A row over a French newspaper article is behind the breakdown of talks for a sale of French warplanes to the United Arab Emirates worth $5-6 billion, a senior French government source said on Friday.UAE officials were angry about a June 26 article in Le Figaro, owned by conservative politician Serge Dassault, whose family-controlled Dassault Aviation made the Rafale, government officials said.The newspaper said the UAE used Israeli technology to help secure its borders. Business with Israel remains a sensitive subject in the Gulf where most countries including the UAE have no relations with the Jewish state.

UAE and Brazil to sign defence agreement

6:40 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Deal between UAE and Brazil likely to result in setting up of join task force.The UAE and Brazil are expected to enter a defence agreement in the coming months with the UAE's possible purchase of Brazilian military aircraft, the Brazilian defence minister said on Tuesday."When I go back to Brazil, I will send, in 15 days, a draft agreement between our countries which will serve as an umbrella agreement on cooperation in the military field," Nelson Jobim said through an interpreter on Tuesday.

UAE Requests Technical Information on F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

10:43 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested technical information on the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, a surprise move that turns an anticipated order of Dassault Rafales into a $10 billion competition.

"The UAE is asking the U.S. for information on the F/A-18 Super Hornet in the single- and twin-seater version," the source said. "It is in the very early stages; it's a preliminary contact. The UAE has opened the door to them." "This is worth about $10 billion, depending on the delivery dates` and specification."

The UAE is looking to replace the 63 Dassault Mirage 2000-9s it bought just over a decade ago.UAE authorities have been negotiating with the French government and industry a potential co-development of a more capable "fifth-generation" model of the Rafale.Abu Dhabi is being asked to pay to upgrade the Rafale, while the F-18 is already at the desired technological level. The Gulf source said, "The Super Hornet has everything we need. We don't need to co-develop or modify it."

Lockheed Martin to Finalise Sale of THAAD ABM to UAE Next Year

4:07 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Ivan Gale

Lockheed Martin, the US defence and aerospace giant, expects to finalise the sale of a sophisticated missile defence system to the UAE next year in a deal that could be worth up to US$7 billion (Dh25.7bn), the company’s chief executive said.

A deal for the theatre high altitude area defence (THAAD) system would be the first international sale of the sensitive defence technology and provide the UAE with an upper-altitude layer of missile defence in addition to a Patriot missile system to be delivered next year.The projected sale is “probably the most significant international order opportunity” among missile defence systems for now, Robert Stevens, Lockheed’s chairman and chief executive, told a Morgan Stanley conference on Wednesday.
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UAE Air Force's Aerobatic Team to Get 10 Italian MB-339A Aircrafts

12:14 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Alenia Aermacchi, has signed a contracts with the UAE for the conversion, configuration acrobatic aircraft of ten MB-339 A. This contract includes the upgrade of the MB-339A aircraft for the National Aerobatic Team of UAE. Initially of six MB-339 aircraft from the inventory of UAE Air Force will be upgraded and this will be followed by the acquisition and conversion of four additional aircraft.These aircrafts will be painted in the four UAE national flag colors: white, red, green and black.

Flight Demonstrations of MQ-8B Fire Scout VUAS in United Arab Emirates

7:28 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

With the support of the United States Navy, Northrop Grumman Corporation and its industry partners (Sikorsky/Schweizer, Rolls-Royce, Raytheon, FLIR Systems, Cubic, Kearfott, Rockwell-Collins, General Electric, Sierra Nevada, Telephonics, and L-3 Communications) today successfully completed a rigorous set of flight demonstrations of the MQ-8B Fire Scout vertical unmanned aerial system (VUAS) in the United Arab Emirates under extreme environmental conditions.

The test flights were conducted in early July over a ten day period in the United Arab Emirates. They validated Fire Scout's steady system maturation and helped signal its readiness for the U.S. Navy's upcoming Operational Evaluation of the system, planned for late 2010 aboard the USS Halyburton (FFG-40).

"We welcome Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy to the UAE for continued testing of the Fire Scout," said Ali Al Yafei of ADASI (Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investment). "As a VUAS, Fire Scout has many unique capabilities to offer and we're looking forward to reviewing the results of this in-country testing."

Singapore to Announce M-346 Advanced Jet Trainer Selection

10:30 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Singapore is about to announce that it has shortlisted the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 for its advanced jet trainer requirement, after eliminating the Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed Martin T-50 from the competition."The South Koreans have been informed that the T-50 is no longer in contention, even though Singapore has not yet signed a contract with Aermacchi."

UAE Reopens Advanced Jet Trainer Talks

2:16 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Lockheed Martin has confirmed that the United Arab Emirates has resumed talks with rival bidders for a contract to supply a fleet of advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft, about 16 months after signing an agreement with Alenia Aermacchi.Asked whether Lockheed believes the UAE trainer/light attack jet deal is back in contention, Lockheed director of T-50 business development Doug Miller said: "Yes, I believe so."

Rafale Fighters Sale Talks with UAE Moving Forward

12:51 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Technical talks on the sale of Rafale fighters to the United Arab Emirates are wrapping up, Defence Minister Herve Morin said Tuesday, adding that France was likely to pick up part of modernisation costs.Morin said the costs of the modernisation was in the order of two billion euros, not four to five billion euros as has been speculated, and that France would likely absorb some of the costs as it had planned to carry them out anyway.

Russia to Complete Delivery of Pantsir-S1 Air Defense Systems to UAE This Year

7:22 PM ASIAN DEFENCE 1 comment

Dzirkaln has confirmed that Russia will finish delivering Pantsir-S1 short-range air defense systems to the United Arab Emirates by late 2010."This year the delivery will be completed. Two more shipments of these vehicles will be delivered and the contract on the delivery will be fulfilled," he said.Russian signed a $734-million contract with the United Arab Emirates in 2000 on purchasing 50 Pantsir-S1s.It is designed to protect point and area targets and carries up to 12 two-stage solid-fuel surface-to-air missiles in sealed ready-to-launch containers.The system also has two dual 30 mm automatic cannons that can engage targets at a range of up to 4 km.The talks in Abu Dhabi are to focus on the "full modernization of a large number of BMP-3s in an effort to seriously increase their combat capability," the Russian official said.

Anatolian Falcon Multinational Military Air Eexercise Begins in Turkey

5:48 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Anatolian Falcon 2010/2, a major multinational military air exercise, will be held at the third air base in the central Turkish province of Konya on June 7 and 18, 2010. The Turkish military said in a statement posted on its web page that besides 39 jets of the Turkish Air Forces, the United States would join the exercise with 10 F-15 jets, the United Arab Emirates with 6 Mirage-2000-9 jets, Italy with 5 AMX jets, Spain with 6 F18 jets and NATO with 1 E-3A Awacs plane.

UAE to Get Letter of Agreement for Purchase of THAAD in Next Three Months

5:01 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

The UAE is approaching a milestone in its plans to purchase the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile system for an estimated US$7 billion (Dh25.71bn) from the US, according to officials from the American defence company Lockheed Martin.A sale would mark the first time the THAAD system has been exported by the US and underscore the deep ties forming between America and the Emirates.

The UAE could receive a “letter of agreement” from the US government later this summer after the two administrations made progress on their negotiations over the sensitive technology, said Dennis Cavin, the vice president of air and missile defence strategic initiatives at Lockheed.

World Military Spending Soars Despite Recession

8:53 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Indigenous Defence Industry of United Arab Emirates

12:17 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

This is the NIMR II with the MBDA-Rheinmetall automated turret

Ali al Dhaheri could not have known he was trailblazing an indigenous defence industry for the UAE when he set up Adcom Systems in the late 1980s. The company, now with a turnover in the hundreds of millions of dollars, produces advanced aeronautical products such as jet-powered, remote-controlled unmanned aircraft, called drones, used as targets by trainee air force personnel.

“Over time we … evolved from being hobbyists to professionals,” says Mr al Dhaheri. “We found that we had a mind to develop things by ourselves.”

Adcom has produced thousands of target drones for about 12 customer nations. It is also focusing on more advanced drones, called unmanned aerial vehicles, which includes a partnership with a Malaysian company, Composite Technology Research Malaysia.

As well as aircraft superstructure, Adcom produces sensitive navigational technology such as the drones flight control units – which take 500,000 positional readings per second – at its workshops in Musaffah, he says. The company plans to increase the size of the workshops by 4,600 square metres.