The UAE awarded military contracts worth Dh4 billion to local and international companies on the third day of the International Defence Exhibition (2017), organisers said.

US-based companies Raytheon, Boeing, German company Rheinmetall, South Africa’s Paramount Group and European company BAE Systems bagged some of the biggest deals announced on Tuesday.

Among the local companies that won deals are Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments Company (Adasi), International Golden Group, Al Jaber, Al Masaood among others.

US-based Raytheon won the biggest deal: an Dh828 million contract to supply spare parts for air defence to the UAE Armed Forces, followed by Adasi which won a contract worth Dh377 million to offer integrated logistics support for aircraft.

Other major contracts include a Dh275 million deal clinched by UAE-based Bayanat for licence software and the production of spatial information, a contract with UAE-based Palms Sports to provide specialised jiu-jitsu and combat training instructors for Dh365 million, and a Dh285 million contract with Etimad Holding for the maintenance of border security systems and critical infrastructure

The Boeing contract worth Dh68 million is related to providing C-17 Globe Master III logistics support and training simulator maintenance.

German company Rheinmetall clinched a deal worth Dh34 million to provide technology support, supply spare parts for the UAE air force.

Another German company Blucher won a deal worth Dh164 million to supply protective body armour and supplementary accessories

South Africa’s Paramount Group will supply 8x8 armoured vehicles worth Dh10 million.

“Over the past three days during Idex and Navdex 2017, the UAE Armed Forces penned a cumulative of 52 deals worth more than Dh15.41 billion,” said Idex spokesperson Brigadier-General Rashid Al Shamsi.

On the first day, deals worth Dh4.5 billion were announced and on the second day the total contract value stood at Dh7 billion.

Organisers are expecting the total value of contracts awarded to various companies to go up to Dh20 billion by the end of the event on Thursday.

More than 1,200 defence firms from 57 countries are taking part in the five-day event that got underway on Sunday at the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre.

Russian company Rostec said on Tuesday that they are collaborating with the UAE in developing a light combat aircraft that is expected to be ready in seven to eight years’ time.

The company is planning to create manufacturing facilities in the UAE to build the aircraft. The total investment in the project is not known.

In another announcement on Wednesday, UAE-based Al Marakeb Boat Manufacturing Company will supply unmanned surface vessels to the Dubai Civil Defence.

Al Marakeb confirmed to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dubai Civil Defense to provide them with a fire-fighting vessel which can be operated remotely in an environment that would be difficult or dangerous for conventional approaches

source : gulfnews