UAE Are Now Again Looking At The T-50 South Korea

The International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi has often been the venue for announcements or confirmation of major acquisitions by the UAE Air Force and Air Defence. With the finalisation of major contracts expected imminently, the IDEX organisers must be hoping for a particularly successful show.

But it is not just the UAE Air Force and Air Defence that is embarking on a spending spree as it re-equips and expands, as its rearmament programme is part of a wider regional process.

Over-committed in Afghanistan, and with its own budgetary constraints, the USA has turned to its regional allies to ‘burden-share’ in the maintenance of regional security and stability – not least in the face of a resurgent Iran.

And, though Iran remains some way from representing a real threat to its neighbours, many analysts believe that the Islamic Republic will eventually become a nuclear power with credible short- and medium-range delivery systems. It is also progressively modernising, improving and growing its conventional military forces and capabilities.

While Iran’s nuclear programme and its conventional expansion is a concern to many nations in the region the US response, strengthening the forces of its key allies, has itself led to some other concerns.

The re-arming of Iraq, for example, has led some of that country’s neighbours to re-examine their force structure and readiness, while proposed sales to Saudi Arabia have led to ‘balancing’ deliveries of military equipment to Israel, in turn provoking something of a general arms race in the region.

In the UAE, there are a number of outstanding requirements where the selection of a winning aircraft type has been announced, but no contract has been signed.

Thus, the UAE has announced that it will buy the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master advanced trainer, and the Dassault Rafale strike fighter. But some believe that these two apparent selections may yet be overturned – just as the UAE’s previous selection of the CN-235MPA was abandoned in favour of a purchase of maritime configured DHC Dash 8s.

A senior industry source commented wryly that “Alenia seems to have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and the UAE are now again looking at the T-50.”

It was reported that Alenia had failed to meet UAE demands for it to provide UAV technology alongside the M-346s and, subsequently, it was said that the UAE had accordingly re-opened talks with KAI for the T-50.

And in September it was reported that the UAE had asked Boeing for information on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, while Arabian Aerospace understands that Eurofighter is again marketing its Typhoon to the UAE.

It is believed that the UAE became disillusioned with French unwillingness to ‘buy back’ its Mirage 2000 fighters and by the French expectation that the UAE would fully fund the development effort to upgrade the Rafale to the standard that it required (with a more powerful, 9tonne thrust version of the M88 engine, a more powerful AESA radar, and an upgraded EW system).

After its experience with the F-16E/F, the UAE may be nervous about ordering a variant of an aircraft type that is in advance of that used by the ‘home customer’, and of funding significant upgrades. By contrast, the Super Hornet is already at the technological level required by the UAE and offers better interoperability with US forces.

Perhaps more vitally, there is a growing realisation in the UAE that interoperability with US forces is key, and this increasingly mitigates against purchasing a French fighter.

The UAE Air Force and Air Defence has forged ever closer links with the US Air Force and, last year, participated in the Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB in Nevada. In a speech in Bahrain last year, General David H Petraeus the Commander of US Central Command, expressed his opinion that the UAE air force “could take out the entire Iranian air force” on its own, and rated the UAE as a significant military power in its own right.

Other outstanding UAE requirements include one for a new AEW/AWACS aircraft. The UAE has selected the Saab 2000-based Erieye as an interim solution for training, operational evaluation, and for the development of tactics and doctrine. But a definitive AEW/AWACS aircraft remains an urgent priority for the UAE, with the Saab, Grumman’s E-2 Hawkeye and Boeing’s 737 AEW&C all remaining in contention.

And then there is the array of requirements where the US DSCA has notified Congress of possible sales to the UAE, but where no contracts have yet been signed. These sales include 60 AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, 16 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, 100 Army tactical missile systems (ATACMS) T2K unitary missiles and 60 low-cost reduced-range practice rockets.

Similar possible foreign military sales have been notified to Congress concerning the supply of 84 F-15SAs, 70 AH-64Ds, 36 AH-6Is, 72 UH-60Ms and 12 MD530s, as well as Javelin missiles to Saudi Arabia, Army tactical missile systems to Bahrain, a C-17 and Patriot missiles to Kuwait, 18 F-16 fighters to Iraq and 18 more F-16s and C-130J support and training to Oman (augmenting a commercial buy of a C-130J-30).

The sale of 18 AH-6i light attack/reconnaissance helicopters, with an option for a further six, to Jordan remains to be finalised.

And there is a serious, on-going fighter competition running in Qatar, and another in Kuwait, while a Eurofighter Typhoon order from Oman is believed to be impending, or perhaps merely waiting a formal announcement.

The Qatari requirement is assessed by some industry insiders as being the most ‘near term’, with some 24-36 fighters required to replace the air arm’s ageing Dassault Mirage 2000s. The Qatari competition is being rigorously and well run, and the air force is understood to be evaluating the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-15, as well as the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Saab Gripen NG and the Dassault Rafale.

Bahrain is also understood to be formulating a future fighter requirement.

The 2011 IDEX is the tenth such biennial event and it has become the largest and most important defence exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa region, attracting the most powerful and most influential military and government representatives from the GCC and MENA countries.

Very much a tri-service defence and security event, IDEX includes air vehicles and associated systems, space systems, land vehicles and systems, weapons and ordnance, homeland and internal security equipment, C4ISR, radar, electro-optical and FLIR systems, electronic warfare systems, simulation and training systems and services, logistics and support systems and services, medical, survival and NBC/CBRN equipment.

There are live daily demonstrations of land vehicles, aircraft, UAVs, and even marine craft.

Increasingly, IDEX is a platform for local industry, such as the exhibition’s headline sponsor, Tawazun Holdings, which includes the UAE’s indigenous gun manufacturing company Caracal International. Its Cracal pistol is now the official sidearm of the UAE armed forces and security forces, and it has been exported to Bahrain and Jordan.

Tawazun and other local companies are driving forward the processes of Emiratisation and technology transfer, while pursuing economic diversification, and contributing to the growth and increased value of the UAE’s industrial base.

For the first time the new, dedicated naval defence exhibition (NAVDEX), will be running in parallel with IDEX 2011. This is made possible by the existence of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) adjacent marina, accessed by a dedicated walkway from IDEX.

This will have its own purpose-built air-conditioned temporary structure next to the water, with ‘on-water’ boat displays berthed alongside, visiting naval vessels
 and daily amphibious and waterborne demonstrations.

The last IDEX (in 2009) attracted 150 official delegations and the UAE Armed Forces announced deals worth AED 18.4bn (US $5bn), leading the organisers to claim that it was one of the most successful defence shows in terms of signed business agreements. At least as many official delegations are expected this year, together with an estimated 900 exhibitors, and the organisers predict that the 2011 exhibition will surpass all records for contracts signed or secured.

This year’s IDEX is being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from Sunday 20 - Thursday 24 February in the 12 indoor exhibition halls, and outside static display areas.

The venue has been expanded and improved, with 600 hotel rooms/suites at two hotels adjacent to ADNEC, new retail and catering outlets, and a fully operational Abu Dhabi International Airport check-in facility with on-site duty free shopping.

The organisers have also introduced a special package for companies making their IDEX debut in an effort to encourage first-time exhibitors. This includes a ‘First-Time Exhibitor Zone’ near the main entrance, which aims to give new participants better exposure on a highly competitive floor, and to provide them with the most cost-effective platform to stand out amongst the crowd at the show.

The exhibition is organised by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, in association with the UAE Armed Forces GHQ, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the UAE and supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The main exhibition will be preceded by the one-day Gulf Defence Conference (GDC) on Saturday 19 February, organised by the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.(Arabianaerospace/WDN)

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