HelpIDEX 2009 Video – Vehicle demonstrations
February 26th, 2009 | IDEX 2009 | Posted by Sheila Vemmer
Video of combat-ready vehicles demonstrated at IDEX 2009. Click on “Read the rest of this entry >>” below to view video.
Tags: demonstration, IDEX 2009, UAE, video
Italy wins anti-submarine naval deal
February 26th, 2009 | IDEX 2009 | Posted by Andrew Chuter
Day four of the IDEX defense show came to a close with the announcement of another contract win for Italian industry.
This time it was warship builder Fincantieri with a AED 430 million ($117 Million) deal to build an anti-submarine corvette for the United Arab Emirates navy.
Yesterday Alenia Aermacchi secured selection of its M-346 jet trainer in an 48 aircraft order from the UAE air force.
The Cigala Fulgosi class vessel will be similar to the six warships delivered to the Italian Navy earlier in the decade.
The shipyard is currently building two of the corvettes for the Turkish Coast Guard but in a different configuration. Read the rest of this entry »
IDEX 2009 Video – The ADSB Sea Keeper
February 26th, 2009 | IDEX 2009 | Posted by Sheila Vemmer
Video of an Abu Dhabi Ship Building “Sea Keeper” demonstration in the ADNEC quay at IDEX 2009. Click on “Read the rest of this entry >>” below to view video.
Mortars, guns and missiles to arm UAE patrol boats
February 25th, 2009 | IDEX 2009 | Posted by Andrew Chuter
The United Arab Emirates navy has released more details on the weapons fit of 24 fast patrol boats being supplied by Abu Dhabi Ship Building under a AED 935 million ($255million) ordered announced earlier this week
Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding along with partner SwedeShip Marine are to build 12 new 26.5m fast patrol boats and upgrade 12 existing Ghannatha-class high-speed troop-carrying craft into the same configuration.
The 24 vessels will be produced in three weapon configurations officials revealed here today at the IDEX defense show.
The main armament of half the 24 boats will be the MBDA-supplied Marte anti-ship missile.
Four missiles will be carried in two launchers on the rear of the Ghannatha class vessels.
The UAE is the first customer for the ship-launched version of what is normally a helicopter weapon. Read the rest of this entry »
IDEX day 3 ends with Alenia trainer pick
February 25th, 2009 | IDEX 2009 | Posted by Pierre Tran
Abu Dhabi – The United Arab Emirates on Feb. 25 picked the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 for its advanced jet trainer over the supersonic T-50 from Korean Aerospace Industry and the Hawk 128 from BAE Systems, ending the third day at the IDEX arms show with a bumper announcement.
Major General Obaid Al Ketbi of the UAE armed forces told journalists that the selection had been made after a lengthy evaluation process and now a specialist committee would negotiate the detailed terms of the contract for 48 M-346 aircraft. The planes were to “cover lead-in fighter training, along with combat air support,” he said. The price would be known when the requirements and technical support were concluded, he said.
In other orders signed at the show today:
- Provincial Aerospace of Canada has contracted to upgrade two DHC-8 Q300 aircraft into maritime patrol aircraft, a deal worth AED 1.71 billion ($466 million)
- General Dynamics will arm and upgrade an unspecified number of RG-31 vehicles in a deal worth AED 111.9 million
- Vectronix of Switzerland has been picked to supply an artillery observation system for AED 32.6 million
- Rheinmetall will supply 18 27mm guns for AED 191.6 million
- FATS/Caswell will supply training simulators for light weaponry training for AED 17.6 million
- Emirates Marine Tecnology will provide technical support for unspecified military equipment for AED 46.4 million
The total of orders, excluding the jet trainers, was AED 1.47 billion.
IDEX, mainly known as a land armamemts exhibition in the past, has so far yielded a notable crop of aviation orders including Boeing C-17 heavy jet transports and Lockheed Martin C-130Js turboprop airlifters, and Raytheon advanced medium range air to air missiles to arm the UAE’s fleet of F-16s. Land armaments have been relegated to poor relations in the region, a French defense executive said.
ENDS
Tags: lead in, light attack aircraft, trainer
UAE ship support venture nears completion
February 25th, 2009 | IDEX 2009 | Posted by Andrew Chuter
Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) hopes to have a warship support joint venture with Britain’s BVT Surface Fleet operational by mid-year according to the Gulf-based company’s chief executive.
“Negotiations remain on track for the joint venture to be up and running by mid-year and we may even beat that schedule a little bit”, ADSB boss Bill Saltzer told reporters at the IDEX defense show here Feb 24.
The tie-up is aimed at harnessing BVT’s warship support and naval base management know-how with ADSB’s local presence.
For the moment BVT is a joint venture between BAE Systems and the VT Group. BAE is to buy its partners stake in a deal expected to be completed this summer.
ADSB and its partner hope their new venture will secure work not just in its United Arab Emirates home market but across other parts of the Gulf region as well.
In particular the joint venture will be setting its sights on securing base management deals in the region. Read the rest of this entry »
Painful but green perimeter protection
February 25th, 2009 | IDEX 2009 | Posted by Sheila Vemmer
If you are tired of staring at those big grey T-walls, endless coils of razor wire or chain link topped with concertina, Sinnoveg of France offers an “environmental, decorative and impenetrable” way to hide or even replace all that ugly security.
Completely “green,” the bushes are filled with thick thorns that will deter people and animals away.
Add some concertina and/or concrete down low and you have an anti-vehicle hedge. The more the plants grow, the thicker the protection and less visible is the reinforcement.
It is in use at Eurodisney Paris, so no goofing off in the bushes there. You’ll regret it.
Tags: green, IDEX 2009, life during wartime
Barco says screens can stand the heat
February 25th, 2009 | IDEX 2009 | Posted by Pierre Tran
Abu Dhabi – The TX series of ruggedized display screens from Belgian company Barco can operate in 71 degrees Celsius and can be viewed under the bright direct sunlight of the Gulf sun, said market development director Claude Desmet at the IDEX arms exhibition.
Those two features were strong requirements of the UAE armed forces, he said. The screens also works at minus 40 degrees Celsius.
On the 17-inch display at the Barco stand, Commander Fire, an artillery command and control program from C4ISR specialist Thales was running. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: artillery, back projection, howitzer
Caracal shows off small 9mm semi-auto pistol
February 25th, 2009 | IDEX 2009 | Posted by Pierre Tran
Abu Dhabi – Caracal has been showing off at the IDEX arms exhibition its SC sub-compact hand gun, which managing director Hamad Khalifa Al Neyadi said is the world’s smallest semi-automatic pistol, with the highest magazine capacity — 13 rounds in the clip and one in the breech.
The UAE-based company unveiled prototype F and C models of its 9mm hand gun at the previous IDEX two years ago.
The guns are now in production. The new version has fewer screws giving a smooth surface, allowing for a more efficient assembly and a better quality build, Al Neyadi said.
The SC model can also use the larger magazine clips of the C and F guns, giving capacity of up to 18 rounds.
The company has sold the Caracal gun to a law enforcement agencyin Italy, the home market of Beretta, which has been making guns for 500 years, Al Neyadi said.
Production of the semi-automatic pistol is part of an offset program intended to build up local industrial capacity.
The gun measurements:
gun slide length 160mm
barrel length 86mm
height 112mm
width 23.5mm
weight 650g
ENDS
Tags: offset, semi-automatic handgun
UAE poised for jet trainer selection
February 25th, 2009 | IDEX 2009 | Posted by Andrew Chuter
A competition to secure a multi-billion dollar deal for advanced jet trainers to the United Arab Emirates air force may be drawing to a conclusion this week.
Alenia Aermacchi’s M-346 is pitched against the Korean Aerospace T-50 in a selection battle which could result in an order for as many as 50 aircraft.
The Italian machine is tipped as the hot favorite by industry executives and others here.
Speculation that a choice of an advanced jet trainer is imminent has been around before, only for hopes to be dashed by an evolving requirement and other issues.
This time though, the expectation here amongst executives and the media is that the UAE will make an announcement before the IDEX defense show closes Feb 26.
Tags: Alenia Aermacchi, Jet Trainer, Korean Aerospace, UAE Air Force