220 Feb. 2017

Mohammed bin Rashid and Mohammed bin Zayed open IDEX 2017Deals worth more than AED 4 billion announced on day one

Vice President, Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mo-hammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, opened the thir-teenth edition of the International De-fence Exhibition and Conference, IDEX 2017, the Middle East’s leading arms and defence technology sales exhibition, yes-terday. The exhibition is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, at the Abu Dhabi Na-tional Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).The fourth edition of Navdex 2017, the na-val defence and maritime security section of IDEX, is also being held alongside this year’s event.HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Mak-toum, and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, received heads of del-egations participating in the show.The reception was attended by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, HH Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, H.H. Sheikh Ammar bin Hu-maid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, HH Sheikh Rashid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mu’alla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Qaiwain, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras al-Khaimah,

and Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council.Their Highnesses welcomed the guests,

including President Rustam Minnikhanov of the Republic of Tatarstan and President Omar al-Bashir of the Republic of Sudan.

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His Excellency Brigadier-General Rashid Mohammed Al Shamsi, Official Spokes-person for the 13th edition of the show, announced that 21 deals worth more than AED 4.416 billion were signed yesterday. His Excellency Brigadier-General Rashid Mohammed Al Shamsi announced the fol-lowing contracts:A contract with International Golden Group (IGG) to buy AED 394,323,197 worth of ammunitions for ground troops. A contract worth AED 13,689,175 between Naval Advanced Solutions (NAS) and the UAE Navy for the development of their marine meteorological system.A contract worth AED 100,401,795 with Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) for the supply and installation of electronic com-munications systems and exchange of information for the UAE Navy. The British company, HESCO Group, has been con-tracted for the purchase of a number of defensive walls (fortifications) worth AED 91,426,185.66.A contract with the French company, THALES UNDERWATER SYSTEM SAS, to buy AED 85,238,000 worth of sonars and with Tawazun Operation to buy armour mechanisms (8 * 8) amounting to AED 2,428,657,820.05. A contract between the UAE Armed Forc-es and the Finnish company, Patria Land Systems worth AED 225,420,000. Further-more, contracting North Star Aviation to provide technical and logistical support to BELL 407 helicopters, valued at AED 15 million. In addition, a contract with Star Satellite Telecom to buy replacement sat-ellite telecommunication parts worth AED 30,344,783.34.A deal worth AED 50 million with GAL Air Traffic Control was signed to provide tech-nical and specialist support in the main maintenance centre for the Air Force. Moreover, a contract with Royal Jet for the management, operation, training and lo-calisation of International Movements Op-erations Centre (IMOC) amounting to AED 80 million. In addition a contract with the

Deals more than AED 4 billion announced on day one

15 of the deals are with national com-panies and the remaining six with in-ternational companies. The deals were announced in a press conference at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Also headlining the conference were Major-General Staff Pilot Ishaq Saleh Al Balushi, Deputy-Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of IDEX 2017 and Naval Staff Colonel Fahed Nasser Al Thehli, Official Spokesper-son for the fourth edition of the Naval Defence Exhibition (NAVDEX 2017).

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company, Abu Dhabi Drilling to provide maintenance and services for the Navy, valued at AED 17,306,100. Next, a contract with Al Rumaithy Establishment to pro-vide technical backing for ground forces valued at AED 15 million.Moreover, today’s deals included a con-tract with Emirates Defence Technology to provide technical assistance (maintenance and supply of spare parts for machinery) worth AED 30 million. Furthermore, sign-ing an AED 181,340,020 contract with Ca-racal Light Ammunition (CLA) to buy am-munition and supply guns to the Armed Forces. Tuff Global was contracted for the pur-chase of assorted ammunition for the Armed Forces, valued at AED 147,355,075. Moreover, an AED 6,650,000 contract with Al Jaber company for the purchase and supply of rocket launchers. In addition to an AED 343,797,390 contract with MBDA

to buy ammunition for the navy. Also, an AED 40,770,040 contract with Watts De-fence Optics & Hall to supply monitoring equipment for ground forces. The Austrian company, Rosenbauer In-ternational AG, was contracted to buy extinguishing mechanisms valued at AED 36,500,000. Next an AED 52,800,000 con-tract with Beltech Export from Belarus to supply spare parts, repair services and technical assistance for armoured vehicles BMP-3.His Excellency Brigadier-General Rashid Mohammed Al Shamsi said that the vol-ume of transactions on the first day of the exhibition reflects the leading stature of the exhibition. The demand from national and international defence players dem-onstrates their keenness to partake in the exhibition and use its unique platform to showcase their latest defence technolo-gies and innovations.

The UAE plays a special role in Singapore’s foreign policy. As the Asian country’s big-gest trading partner in the Middle East, the UAE has helped Singapore deepen its ties with the region. At the same time, the Island City State’s history and use of “soft knowledge” has taught the UAE many les-sons about attracting foreign investment and becoming a major trading power in the global economy. UAE-Singapore co-operation has also extended into the se-curity sphere, with authorities from both countries cooperating on the law enforce-ment front while facing similar challenges posed by governing small states with

large foreign populations.Singapore’s Senior Minister of State, Min-istry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Af-fairs, and Mayor of Singapore’s South East District, Dr. Mohamad Maliki bin Os-man, attended IDEX 2017. He praised the UAE’s defense industry, which he affirmed has been “developing very well” in recent years and provides leadership on the global scale. Dr. Osman emphasized how the biennial arms exhibition has expand-ed impressively over the years and is illus-trative of the UAE’s excellent leadership. He wished IDEX well, hoping for further expansion in the years to come.

Singaporean official: UAE defense industry is “developing very well”

Singapore’s Senior Minister of State talking Nation Shield Editorial Manager

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What is NGC’s background in the Mid-dle East?

We’ve been blessed with a long-term re-lationship in the Middle East, specifically in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which goes back about 40 years. We’ve enjoyed a great relationship with our customers in this re-gion. We have a couple of joint ventures that have been operating extremely suc-cessfully for a long time. Recently, in early 2013, or late 2012, our new CEO decided to focus globally on specific countries. He picked, based on a lot of analytics, six countries: South Korea, Japan, Australia, UK, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. So, the Mid-dle East is a region that has two focused countries which are seen as excellent for growth. We are here for the long-term.

How is NGC helping with Saudi Vision 2030 and Abu Dhabi Vision 2030?

This is where real partnerships come into play. The good old days when big multina-tional companies come, do business, win a contract, deliver, and get their money are gone. With the new model a multina-tional company brings in capability and the know-how, becomes part of a local supply chain, transfers knowledge into the industry, and then wins. That’s exactly what we’ve been working on and we’ve been looking at the long-term. Our strat-egy is fully aligned with Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi Vision 2030. We’re working with universities because we’re trying our best to develop future

Northrop Grumman Corporation is “fully aligned” with Vision 2030

business leaders in our industry. So we are looking at their curriculums and support-ing R&D, and working with local supply chains, our joint ventures and other part-ners to see how we can work together. When you win the big contracts, you don’t bring 500,000 employees from the US. You bring the supervision, the management, the leadership, and let those companies understand and start to learn the know-how. This is fully aligned with Vision 2030 because it helps with the diversification of the economy.

What is NGC focused on showcasing at IDEX 2017?

We thought about this long and hard. We looked at the challenges facing this re-gion. To us, of course, Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intel-ligence, or C4I, fully integrated inter-op-erability on Command and Control is one of them. We are showing our Command and Control ability here and in anything related to upgrades and modifications, not only related to NGC’s platforms but to anyone’s platforms. An example is the black hawk cockpit upgrade from the nor-mal old system to the fully digitized cock-pit. We’re talking cyber security and cyber defense. Again, you’ve heard about the at-tacks that happened in Saudi Arabia and the UAE from outside both countries. So raising awareness about cyber security is extremely important across the region but also having capability in defense is just as important.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) is a leading global security firm. His Excellency Walid Abukhaled, Chief Executive, Middle East, spoke about NGC’s background in the region, role in helping Saudi Arabia and the UAE achieve economic diversification and participation in IDEX 2017.

On display at the show

Northrop Grumman’s exhibit at IDEX includes its wide range of exportable global security capabilities, including C4ISR end-to-end mission solutions and a full spectrum of cyber and logis-tics capabilities. It features the compa-ny’s industry-leading radar technolo-gies including advanced fire control radar systems that upgrade fourth generation fighters by extending the life of the aircraft and increasing op-erational capability; the APR-39D(V)2 radar warning receiving/electronic warfare management system; and ground-based radars such as the Highly Adaptable Multi-Mission Ra-dar, which is a highly adaptable, easily deployable, multi-mission radar that provides 360-degree coverage while mounted on a moving vehicle.Northrop Grumman’s upgraded heli-copter cockpit, which is derived from the U.S. Army’s UH-60V Black Hawk Program, is also displayed. This solu-tion allows customers to have an af-fordable, highly digital, integrated suite of avionics equipment.The company is highlighting its Cita-del Enterprise Battle Command Sys-tem, which delivers an integrated C4I system to execute effective air and missile defense.

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Supacat unveils HMT 400 Desert special operations vehicle

loading, and has undergone successful tactical trials and testing by UAE forces over the summer. The HMT series, widely known as `Jackal`, has been battle proven in service with numerous elite special forc-es worldwide. “Supacat is committed to supporting the region and in the event that HMT 400 De-sert is selected by the UAE Presidential Guard, a large element of the production and subsequent support programmes will be conducted in the UAE”, said Phil Apple-garth, Head of Supacat.The flexibility of the HMT series has been recently demonstrated by Supacat in developing additional variants and con-versions to meet wider and emerging re-quirements. These include HMT in the Re-covery, Logistic Support and Gun Towing roles as well as a unique 4x4 to 6x6 con-vertible feature, which were announced in September at DVD in the UK.

Supacat has unveiled HMT 400 Desert, a new variant of its acclaimed `Jackal` spe-cial operations vehicle, at the show. HMT 400 Desert has been adapted to enhance performance in the desert’s harsh envi-ronment and climatic conditions. It has no armour and the lighter gross vehicle mass improves the power-to-weight ratio and increases mobility over deep desert sand. Further desert features include cooling,

a central tyre inflation system and light-weight bead locks to enable the vehicle to be operated at the lowest tyre pressures. HMT 400 Desert is exhibited on the Inter-national Golden Group, IGG, stand 04-C30, as Supacat’s representatives in the UAE.The vehicle has been configured to fully comply with the UAE Presidential Guard’s requirements for a new special operations vehicle, including tactical CH-47 internal

supacat.com

Supacat is part ofHMT 400 DESERT

The Supacat HMT vehicle is designed by Supacat and manufactured under licence from Lockheed Martin

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Taking centre stage during Thuraya’s par-ticipation at the show will be CRYPTTIA, a unique command and control platform developed by EYEONIX SA.CRYPTTIA allows smartphone users to uti-lise a unified Thuraya and cellular networks for mission critical, crisis management, defense and civil protection operations. It is a global platform combining both ter-restrial and satellite voice technologies to bring push to talk services to smartphone users. It is an IP-based end-to-end solu-tion, which offers, “bring your own device” (BYOD) capability for fast and reliable communications in mission critical envi-ronments. It offers speed of deployment and ease of use and is the only platform that can be fully operational, from scratch,

in less than four hours as a mission critical unified system. The portable version, which is deployable in less than five minutes, serves as a fully operational command, control and deci-sion support system. It requires less than one day to train mobile users, command and control centre training is completed in three days, and administrator training takes five days.Thuraya Market Development Director, Fa-had Kahoor said, “NATO security-certified, CRYPTTIA guarantees optimal security for both call and data exchange, and is used for high level, top secret military intelli-gence and counter espionage. Agents are untraceable in the field, because of the unique task and incident management module, which can be automated and preconfigured, to coordinate a mission or an emergency automatically.”CRYPTTIA is a speechless system, which means that command centre executives receive updates and task completion data through a configurable, colour-coded sta-tus level system. It can send and receive live images, and store and forward videos. When voice or text exchange is required, push to talk (PTT) voice and short mes-sage service communications for group and private users are always on hand.Certified by Thuraya for added value sys-tem security and compliance, Kahoor stresses that CRYPTTIA is a cost efficient solution that operates at a fraction of the cost of competing solutions.With Application Interface (API) or Inter-

face Control Document (ICD), CRYPTTIA can integrate third party networks (TETRA, DMR, UHF); platforms (command centers or surveillance systems); and unmanned platforms (UAVs, sUAVs and drones). CRYPTTIA delivers geolocation, tracking, and geofencing.

MoU with Indosat OoredooThuraya and Indonesia’s Indosat Ooredoo recently signed a Memorandum of Under-standing to develop a new range of ser-vices by combining Indosat products with Thuraya Satellite technology and devices for business customers in Indonesia. According to Kahoor, the agreement has created a framework for collaboration in three main areas. He said, “New services will be developed using Indosat SIM cards roaming on the Thuraya network as well as bundling satel-lite devices with Indosat Ooredoo digital applications. At a later stage, Thuraya and Indosat also plan to develop additional use cases for the burgeoning IoT market.”Furthermore, the satellite-powered busi-ness applications allow organisations to extend their services beyond terrestrial networks, whenever they have remote connectivity requirements across various extreme environmental conditions. Thuraya’s extensive and reliable satellite network complements Indosat’s own con-nectivity, extending into those areas that are beyond terrestrial reach. “This will en-able both companies to offer a seamless customer experience,” Kahoor added.

Thuraya: Taking mission-critical satellite communications to the next level

Leading mobile satellite communications company, Thuraya Telecommunications Company, will be showcasing its suite of GovernmentComms products and solutions, which provide critical communications in the field at IDEX.

Thuraya Market Development Director, Fahad Kahoor, speaks to Nation Shield about the latest solutions being showcased at IDEX

100 years of defence and security electronics under one roof.

www.hensoldt.net

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milsim@cae.com        @CAE_Defence cae.com

CAE – Your Worldwide Training Partner of Choice

Who trains more RPA aircrews than any other company?We do.CAE provides innovative simulation products and comprehensive training services to help

prepare RPA/UAS pilots and sensor operators for their critical missions.

Visit CAE at IDEX (Hall 01- B01) and NAVDEX (Hall C- 037) in Abu Dhabi, UAE February 19-23, 2017 to learn more.

CAE – رشيككم العاملي املفّضل لخدمات التدريب

ما هي الرشكة التي تدرب طواقم الطائرات بدون طيار أكرث من أي رشكة أخرى؟

نحن بالطبع.تقدم رشكة CAE منتجات محاكاة مبتكرة وخدمات تدريب شاملة إلعداد وتأهيل الطيارين الذين يتحكمون بالطائرات

بدون طيار ومشغيل أجهزة االستشعار ملهامتهم الحاسمة.

ملعرفة املزيد، تفّضلوا بزيارة CAE يف معرض آيدكس (القاعة B01-01) ويف معرض نافدكس (القاعة C-037) يف أبوظبي بدولة اإلمارات العربية املتحدة، خالل الفرتة بني 23-19 فرباير 2017.

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CAE was recently awarded contracts by the United Arab Emirates and one of the agree-ments was to design and develop a com-prehensive Naval Training Centre (NTC) for the UAE Navy. The centre will be located in Taweelah with connectivity to several other naval and air bases throughout the UAE. The NTC is expected to be complete and ready-for-training by early 2019.The purpose-built NTC facility will feature a range of integrated ship simulation-based training suites as well as maritime aircraft sensor stations that will be used to deliver training for individuals, command teams, and whole ship crews. In addition, the overall naval training system for the UAE Navy is being designed for networking and interoperability to enable distributed multi-platform and joint mission training.CAE has established CAE Maritime Middle East LLC to serve as the prime contractor and programme management company in

UAE Naval Training Centre to be ready in 2019

Abu Dhabi. CAE will be supported on the program by Babcock International, one of the United Kingdom’s leading engineer-ing support organisations, as well as other local UAE companies.“This is a major strategic win for CAE and clearly demonstrates our capabilities to serve as a training systems integrator across all defence domains,” said Gene Co-labatistto, CAE’s Group President, Defence & Security. “The UAE Navy selected CAE as its training partner because of our focus and expertise in training, and the result will be a comprehensive naval training en-terprise that helps the UAE Navy achieve a high level of fleet operational readiness.”The UAE NTC will include whole ship simulation suites for the bridge, combat information centre (CIC), and machinery control room (MCR). CAE’s naval tactical mission trainers (TMTs) will be provided and can be reconfigured for a variety of

vessel types, and used to deliver individ-ual training across a range of ship systems and subsystems, including Combat Man-agement Systems, sensor, and weapons systems. The naval tactical mission train-ers will be networked and used as part of a whole ship configuration for team and multi-ship training. CAE will also provide airborne tactical mission trainers to rep-resent both fixed-wing and rotary-wing maritime aircraft that can be included as part of joint and collective mission train-ing exercises.

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NationShield mezzapagina testo profilato indd 1 14/02/2017 10:38:28

Elettronica boasts over six decades of EW specialization in the defence sector, and it is enlarging its product portfolio to cope with new threats and more stringent cus-tomer requirements.Elettronica’s stand in Hall 6 – Stand B21 is displaying a range of mock-ups that show the advantages of implementing the most advanced technologies developed by Elettronica and applied in its products. The ELINT Edge capabilities include high sensitivity for very long-range detection, extended frequency bandwidth and accu-rate directional of arrival measurement for an improved SA. The ECM Edge capabilities include high-transmitted power (ERP), extended fre-quency bandwidth over any radar threats, full Azimuth and Elevation Spatial Cover-age and multi-threat jamming. The system includes networking capability to increase the values of Escort Jamming capability as well as a proprietary High Value algorithm. The Edge escort jammer is designed for

exportability, has no technology export limitations and is ITAR free. Its high level of modularity with a scalable architecture to support customer requirements and needs makes it an ideal subject for indus-trial cooperation, collaboration and tech-nology transfer. The ELT/800: It is an innovation in ELINT equipment design for fixed and rotary wing applications and provides a supe-rior product based on a Wide-Open and Superhet Digital Receiver architecture through a unique system approach and modern technologies. The system allows Tactical Surveillance (ESM function) and highly accurate data processing for intelli-gence analysis purposes (ELINT function). The ELT/800 is a compact and light weight solution providing a considerable installa-tion flexibility. Fully compatible, it can be deployed on any legacy and future gen-eration of airborne platforms. MUROS: In the field of vehicle integration, Elettronica GmbH product family MUROS

(Multi Role Operations Support Vehicle) enables and supports the following op-erations by integrating electro-optical, infrared, radar or PCL sensors: MUROS-S: Surveillance (Video documentation, Ur-ban Area Surveillance including the usage of drones, Border protection including the usage of drones); MUROS-C: Communi-cation (Monitoring, analysing and inter-fering audio/data communication in the GSM/UMTS band as well as in the open en-vironment); MUROS-MC: Mission Control (Mission planning, Command & Control, Big Data Analysis e.g. Open Source Intel-ligence). MUROS systems can be operated 24/7 and are equipped with EU state-of-the-art technologies in terms of sen-sors, actuators, IT and communications. MUROS can be used as stand-alone locally operated system or as remotely controlled system connected to a centralised com-mand and control function. In addition, it can be integrated wireless into a network of surveillance nodes.

Elettronica showcases its EW specialisation

Navigation Warfare in Amphibious OperationsiXblue’s innovative, end-to-end solution for uninterrupted, reliable navigation capability will keep your amphibious operations on track.

Whatever the theatre, whatever the conditions, any amphibious operation has to contend with the threat of jamming of GNSS* signals.

iXblue proposes an inno-vative solution, which has moved navigation in am-phibious warfare to a whole new level. In concrete terms, iXblue enables surface vessels to transmit critical data for INS alignment and repositioning to tactical vehicles instantaneously as they leave the landing craft before or after beaching. At the same time, amphibious assault vehicles (AAV’s) launched off the coast from the landing zone can now surface navigate from

offshore to inshore with iXblue Advans Series INS systems, before automa-tically switching to a land navigation mode once they reach the shoreline and begin to progress inland.

As a global leader in military-grade navigation solutions, iXblue can deliver all the components needed to guarantee end-to-end navigation capability for any amphibious operation. Its Marins Series Inertial Navigation Systems, combined with GECDIS-W navigation software, provide vessels with precise and robust navigation even in GNSS-denied environments. iXblue’s naval solutions are serving today in more than

thirty-five navies around the world. iXblue also offer a complete range of land navigation systems based on our Advans Series, which uses the same iXblue fiber optic gyroscope technology and is in service with several land armies through major integrators.

Whatever the theatre, whatever the conditions, iXblue’s comprehensive new amphibious offer combines all of this critical know-how to deliver seamlessly unin-terrupted navigation infor-mation, without GNSS, from the open sea right through to the combat zone.

*GNSS = Global Satellite Navigation System (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS...)

ASIS Boats showcase latest innovations at the show

“We anticipate a good reception for our new products – the new features, excep-tional performance and the ability ASIS Boats has to create bespoke marine craft for highly specialised conditions makes our solution-driven offer highly attractive for the sector,” said Roy Nouhra, Founder and President of ASIS Boats. Following the success of the ASIS Amphib-ious RIBs 7.1 and 6.1m, and in response to popular demand, ASIS Boats just en-larged its amphibious range and released the 8m and 9.8m amphibious RIBs. These amphibious RIB Boats are equipped with

the Sealegs® amphibious system which consists of motorized, retractable and steerable wheels, powering the boat with off-water capabilities. The entire system is marinised and stays completely out of the water while underway. This means there is no compromise to on-water performance.“ASIS Boats works with naval defence and maritime security forces around the world, and IDEX offers us an excellent opportuni-ty to meet all our military and professional customers under one roof. We are able to showcase our latest innovations on an in-ternational platform,” added Nouhra.

A 12 meter military ASIS RIB Boat with foam tube, powered by twin 200 Hp 4 Stroke Diesel Outboard Engines is avail-able for live on-water demonstrations for visitors from the dock edge grandstand adjacent to NAVDEX.With more than 10 years of delivering the most effective and innovative solutions for naval and military forces around the world, ASIS Boats understand the chal-lenges and needs of the sector. As a manufacturer and supplier of military, government, security, coastguard and in-dustry marine craft around the world, ASIS Boats are unparalleled in their speed, ma-noeuvrability, reliability, seaworthiness, safety and stability in the most adverse conditions, in all climates and at the high-est speeds. One of the few manufacturers in the world to gain US Coastguard Sub-Chapter T approval, ASIS Boats has both European CE approval, as well as US-cer-tification from NMMA, SOLAS and ABYC bodies.

One of the market leading manufacturers of rigid inflatable marine craft for naval, army and defence forces around the world, ASIS Boats, is participat-ing at the show. The company is exhibiting at IDEX booth #09-C01.

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Exalto Emirates, founded in 1994 in Sharjah, has grown manifold over the years. Currently the company distributes an extensive ar-ray of electrical and mechanical marine parts and equipment from over 48 international marine manufacturers from four locations in the United Arab Emirates supplying throughout the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent.In an exclusive interview with Nation Shield, Paul said Exalto is launching many new products at IDEX this year. “We are for the first time displaying the world’s first high performance 200 HP Diesel Outboard. This is a great solution for offshore oil and gas field operators as well as the military, particularly because under the new NATO Single Fuel directive they are dissuaded from using fuels other than diesel. “Also we are introducing the MAP autopilot which is produced here in the UAE and has exciting military and commercial applica-tions. Besides, we will also have a newly designed shock mitigation seat for high speed boats from Scotseats in the U.K. And finally we are very excited to introduce the JETANCHOR from HamiltonJet which is a new positioning system for vessels.“There will be live on water demonstrations of the OXE Diesel Out-board, Torqeedo electric Propulsion, MAP autopilot and the Ham-iltonJet JetAnchor,” he added.Paul said, “Of course the majority of boat builders among our cli-ents in the region are based within the UAE. However we are also focused on India, as this is a growing marine market.”He spoke at length about a new range of solar battery chargers Exalto introduced last year. “We as a company are great propo-nents of green energy, which is why we are also showcasing a new range of electric propulsion products from Torqeedo, Germany. In the military market they have the particular advantage of being super quiet for a stealthy approach. Solar power is up and com-ing.”Paul said, “As a company we have quadrupled our staff in the last seven years and remain focused on increased customer service. We are introducing new products to the market and Exalto Emir-ates will continue to expand in the years to come.”

Exalto Emirates: One-stop shop for all marine requirements

IDEX is a fantastic opportunity to interact with customers on a one-to-one basis in a short time span and it gives the chance to show new and special products directly to the end users, according to J W R Paul, General Manager, Exalto Emirates.

He said Exalto basically is able to supply almost all mechanical and electrical parts for any marine craft by representing over 70 brands and keeping sizable stock. “We have the most compre-hensive catalogue in the Middle East of over 11,000 products.” He added that military crafts constituted a substantial part of the customer base. “Although there is an overlap with many products that are used in the non-military sector, the military boats tend to focus very much on weight and performance.”

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Leonardo’s security technologies on land, at sea and in the air are on display at IDEX and NAVDEX.

Leonardo is exhibiting in the region for the first time under its new, unified brand identity inspired by the renaissance ge-nius Leonardo da Vinci. However, while the name is new, the company’s history in the UAE dates back to the seventies in the fields of military pilot training and defence systems. Umberto Panetta, Stratergy, Market and Business Development, Senior Vice Presi-dent Global Market Development, told Nation Shield in an exclusive interview, “The Middle East is a strategic market for Leonardo and its countries are looking for long-term partners for the development of innovative security technology.”Leonardo has also had notable success in the region providing helicopters, with 230 of the company’s AgustaWestland aircraft having been ordered by various Middle Eastern customers, and with the company providing comprehensive support servic-es and training packages.Panetta highlighted that some of these technologies are being featured on Leon-ardo’s stands at IDEX (06-A03) and NAV-DEX (B35), with some on display for the first time in the region. One such new exhibit will be a scale model of a multi-role ship bridge and the innovative ‘naval cockpit’, where visitors will be able to learn about the workings of a fully-integrated naval operations and combat system, and the benefits of the ATAS (Active towed Ar-ray Sonar), the smallest and most power-

Leonardo promotes a wide range of security, aerospace, and cyber solutions

ful variable-depth towed sonar available on the market. In avionics, Leonardo will also be promoting its Miysis DIRCM (Di-rected Infrared Countermeasure), an ad-vanced protective measure for aircraft against heatseeking missiles, fully export-able to the Middle East. Also in electronics, Leonardo will be marketing its advanced technologies including AESA surveillance radars Seaspray and PicoSAR and a family of Unmanned Aerial Systems called Falco. For land forces, visitors will be able to find out about the latest technology for secure communications including handheld soft-ware-defined radios.In the aeronautics field, the exhibition will be a key opportunity for Leonardo to draw attention to the new M-345 HET (High Ef-ficiency Trainer), a trainer aircraft also an-swering to multi-role requirements.The M-345 has the same low costs of ac-quisition and operation of a turbo-prop trainer, and provides pilots with a more authentic experience thanks to the perfor-mance of a jet aircraft. The aircraft flew for the first time on the 29th December, 2016 and has already been ordered by the Ital-ian Air Force.Leonardo will also be highlighting the new version of its M-346, called the Fight-er Trainer (FT), which is able to perform air-to-air and air-to-surface combat missions. Panetta said, “The company will also pre-sent the multi-mission MC-27J, able to perform search and rescue, maritime sur-veillance and humanitarian activities, civil protection and Special Forces missions in complex operational scenarios. The air-craft is the ideal solution for tactical trans-port operations and C3ISR.“In the helicopter sector, Leonardo will exhibit its range of products for civil and military applications, including the AW101 medium-lift helicopter in combat, search and rescue (CSAR) configuration, the AW159 for naval operations and a full-scale mock-up of a VIP-configured cabin for the AW609 tiltrotor.”

The AW609 combines the vertical take-off and landing capabilities of a helicop-ter with the speed of a turbo-prop. It has been chosen by the UAE’s Joint Aviation Command for search and rescue missions.Regionally, the AW139, AW169 and AW189 have been very successful, with the AW139 having been chosen by Abu Dhabi Avia-tion, Gulf Helicopters and by the armed forces and governmental agencies of Qa-tar and Oman. In Saudi Arabia, the AW139 has been chosen for offshore emergency transport and air ambulance tasks, while in the UAE the AW139 is also used for search and rescue and governmental VIP transport. In Abu Dhabi, the AW169 and AW189 are employed by Falcon Aviation for offshore and VIP transport. In the mili-tary market, Oman uses Leonardo’s multi-role Super Lynx 300 helicopters, as well as NH-90, AW139 and AW109 Power helicop-ters for police duties.Panetta concluded by saying, “Leonardo will offer its advanced knowledge in the management of new challenges related to cyber security and the protection of ma-jor events. Here, the company’s goal is to become a strategic partner that can create value through successful collaborations, building on its proven track record as a global provider in innovative technology.”

Umberto Panetta, Stratergy, Market and Business Development, Senior Vice President Global Market Development

13

Solutions for navigation warfare

From the open sea right through to the combat zone, keep your amphibious operations on track

Building upon the on-time and on-budget delivery of 2 x 72 metre High Speed Sup-port Vessels (HSSV’s) to the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) in 2016, Austal, the Australian shipbuilder, has announced an expanded HSSV design portfolio that includes a 113 metre variant – on display for the first time at NAVDEX 2017.Like the US Navy’s proven 103 metre Ex-peditionary Fast Transport (EPF) platform - designed and constructed by Austal and now operating with the US 5th Fleet in the Middle East - the HSSV’s exceptional sealift capabilities support a broad range of naval logistics operations and may be customised to add even greater mission flexibility. The all-aluminium, high speed catamarans feature a shallow draft that enables the fast, effective deployment of hundreds of personnel and equipment, wheeled and tracked vehicles and cargo, with medium-

lift or heavy-lift (CH-47 Chinook, V-22 Os-prey) aviation support options available; for joint force military operations and other missions, such as search and rescue, humanitarian aid and disaster relief.The HSSV’s unique open architecture and efficient design platform provides further flexibility and the opportunity to integrate multi-mission packages such as mine warfare, hydrographic survey and re-search and special-forces operations (sub-ject to customer requirements). Announcing the latest and largest model in Austal’s HSSV portfolio, Chief Executive Officer David Singleton commented, “The HSSV is an innovative solution that is re-defining sealift capability and providing opportunities for even greater, multi-mis-sion flexibility. This latest 113 metre vari-ant demonstrates what is possible with a proven, effective design platform and multiple missions to achieve.”

Acknowledged as the global industry leader in high speed support vessels, Aus-tal has delivered 7 x 103 metre EPF’s to the US Navy since 2008 and will deliver a further 5 x EPF’s to the US Navy, through until 2021. In addition, Austal has delivered 2 x 72 metre HSSV’s to the RNO and designed, built and chartered the 101 metre West-Pac Express to the US Marines Corps for the past 15 years – achieving 99 per cent availability over the course of the service charter.Austal is a global defence prime contrac-tor and a designer and manufacturer of defence and commercial ships. For more than 28 years Austal has been a leader in the design, construction and mainte-nance of revolutionary ships for gov-ernments, navies and ferry operators around the world. More than 255 vessels have been delivered in that time.

Austal’s high speed support vessel portfolio offers multi-mission flexibility

14 2Day 20 Feb. 2017

Hit-to-Kill (HTK) technology is rapidly transforming how the world looks at mis-sile defense. With HTK an interceptor now has the sensing ability, agility and accu-racy to directly hit a target head on, com-pletely destroying the threat and keeping dangerous debris away from protected areas when it matters most.Lockheed Martin has seven unique HTK products ranging from 21 inches to 21 feet. As prominent members of Lockheed Martin’s layered defense system the fam-ily of hit-to-kill missiles provide multi-tier defenses that work in concert to defeat incoming threats in and out of the atmos-

Lockheed Martin puts the spotlight on Hit-to-Kill Technology

phere. The diverse nature of the products enables Lockheed Martin to provide cus-tomers with flexible options tailored to their defense requirements and existing assets.Hit-to-Kill is akin to stopping a bullet with a bullet in the air; the impact of two ob-jects takes place with such force that the threat is destroyed without using an ex-plosive device. This reduces unintended damage in the area around the target, protecting troops on the ground and criti-cal assets.The technology behind Hit-to-Kill tech-nology is an on-board radar seeker. And as

Imagine a world where nations are safe from incom-ing threats because of a defense system that stops the threat before its even close. Now imagine this defense system has technology so advanced it is like stopping a bullet with a bullet mid-flight. This is not fiction – Lockheed Martin’s hit-to-kill technol-ogy makes it a reality.

the name denotes, the seeker:

-cept

The missile’s guidance system uses this data to pinpoint the place on the target to knock it out of the sky. It’s one thing to hit an incoming threat, it’s another to hit the most vulnerable part.Lockheed Martin’s hit-to-kill products pro-vide warfighters with the tools to defend personnel and critical assets against cur-rent and future threats.

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NIMR Automotive, a subsidiary of Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC), has launched its newest vehicle line, the Rapid Intervention Vehicle (RIV), at the show.During its unveiling, NIMR’s CEO Dr. Fahad Saif Harhara said, “We have listened care-fully to the special operations community and incorporated their combat experience into the design and development of this light and powerful 4x4 rapid intervention vehicle. The NIMR RIV is our most modern special forces platform available.” NIMR Automotive as the original vehicle manufacturer, in collaboration with MIRA, a leading independent engineering com-pany specialising in delivering automotive technologies to the defence sector in the UK, engineered the RIV.The NIMR RIV uses speed and agility as a critical advantage to enable a crew of four

NIMR Rapid Intervention Vehicle

NIMR Automotive launches Rapid Intervention Vehicle

to quickly traverse various terrains in all operational environments. It is equipped with under-body blast protection and modular applique armour packs for ballis-tic protection, greatly increasing crew sur-vivability without sacrificing mobility. The NIMR RIV can be transported either by fast ground transit or helicopter; underslung or inside a CH-47.“It addresses a critical mission need for a high-speed, easily transportable vehicle that can quickly respond to tactical situa-tions in remote sites. NIMR’s offering not only expands the NIMR vehicle range, but also allows us to maintain a competitive edge,’’ Dr. Fahad added.Evolving industry trends around irregu-lar warfare has seen the special operator community demand specialised vehicles with greater crossover of mission require-

ments and capabilities. NIMR has already addressed this critical gap through the de-velopment of the industry-leading AJBAN LRSOV, an open-top 4x4 long-range re-connaissance vehicle, first unveiled at IDEX 2015 and which is now in service with the UAE Armed Forces.The RIV addresses a bespoke set of op-erational requirements that enables elite units to successfully carry out covert op-erations without alerting enemy or insur-gent forces. The RIV and LRSOV, along with the full range of NIMR products have been de-signed for the local, regional and interna-tional markets, and are fully customisable based on operational environments and specific user requirements.

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With the need to move to smaller, simpler and mobile solutions, the new Rockwell Collins Joint Fires Integrated Targeting System is being exhibited at the show. It has been benefiting JTACs and FACs for several years, and is now offered both as a wearable technology and with a true joint fires capability for artillery forward observ-ers. The Firestorm solution offers azimuth augmentation, and therefore the highest level of targeting accuracy which reduces ammunition needs and collateral damage, making it one of the most advanced Digi-tal Joint Fires systems available today. “The requirement changes over time,” said Graham Davenport, Marketing Director for Global Joint Fires at Rockwell Collins. “The ability to have a simple, mobile sys-tem has become a major driver now and that’s due to operational changes – more mobile, manoeuvre warfare. We have con-tinued to develop along this track with our body-worn system, which can still be used in a static position if longer ranges are re-quired. Alternatively, users can be mobile

- targeting at a shorter range, either still with full accuracy augmentation or simply using the levels of accuracy offered by an effective laser rangefinder.” Germany adopted an enhanced version of the same system, along with new Link-16/VMF Gateway solutions that enabled an interface with the German Adler II artillery battle manager system. Rockwell Collins’ software and equipment is also integrated in other systems in Europe and elsewhere. Beyond the continent, the company last

Joint Fires:Mobile, accurate and joint targeting

AM General exhibits vehicle offerings

year completed its work to entirely re-configure the infrastructure for UAE joint fires and is providing ongoing support. Rockwell Collins was also selected as the prime contractor for the Australian De-fence Force Land 17 Digital Terminal Con-trol Systems (DTCS) programme, deliver-ing systems to Special Forces and artillery forward observers. This represented the first ‘formal iteration’ in an artillery-led en-vironment.

AM General, a Global Vehicle Solutions Provider, is showcasing its innovative ve-hicle solutions, global reach and diversifi-cation, at the show, at booth 01-C20 in the U.S. Pavilion.“IDEX 2017 is an excellent venue for AM General to display its diverse range of in-novative products and services,” said AM General Executive Vice President, Interna-tional Defense, Larry Platt. “As the Compa-ny continues to expand and strengthen its partnerships in the region and around the globe, we will use this opportunity to en-gage current and potential customers, lis-ten to their unique needs and offer them the most innovative, affordable mobility solutions available today to meet their de-mands.”AM General Exhibit Highlights include:Multi-Purpose Truck / MPT - Making its world premiere at the show, the Multi-Pur-pose Truck (MPT) is a commercial base 4x4 platform chassis truck (cab and chassis)

with 8,391 kg (18,500 lb) GVW and 2,359 kg (5,200 lb) payload capacity engineered to serve the extreme-environment needs of energy, mining, industrial, and govern-ment customers around the world. The MPT is engineered and designed based on existing and test-proven AM General com-ponents, Off-the-Shelf (OTS) AM General items, Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) items from other commercial vehicles and Military Commercial Off-the-Shelf (M-COTS) items. The MPT was designed to allow customers to configure payload modules based on their needs. The Cab & Chassis Base Platform is the base vehi-cle configuration. MPT modules can be developed by the purchasing country’s engineering experts or, if needed, by AM General engineers. HMMWV/Hawkeye Howitzer System – Also making its international debut at IDEX, the HMMWV/Hawkeye Howitzer System incorporates advances in protec-

tion, payload, suspensions and life-cycle sustainment at an affordable price to meet the unique expeditionary requirements of global customers. It exemplifies the steady evolution of the HMMWV based on customer feedback, battlefield experi-ences, and innovation.HMMWV Chassis Modernization – AM General is uniquely capable of tailoring upgrades and modernization programs that are based on the specific needs of each country. These modernization ef-forts can range from country specific fleet surveys that recommend a set of services or component upgrades… through offer-ing a complete modernization program that will bring earlier HMMWVs to a con-figuration on par with new vehicles. The modernized chassis is designed for HM-MWVs that will continue to be in the U.S. and international military fleets for 30-plus years.

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TULPAR-S, the new member of the Otokar tracked vehicles family, is a 15 tonne am-phibious, multi-role platform to suit many missions where a light, agile, robust, and reliable tracked vehicle with high level of ballistic and mine protection is required. The vehicle has a 2 tonne growth capac-ity, which allows integration of additional mission equipment, active/passive pro-tection capabilities, mobile camouflage net, RPG net or different weapon stations.TULPAR-S is able to operate in the worst environmental and terrain conditions and survive most common threats in the battlefield. It is able to cross deep water obstacles and swim in wavy conditions with its amphibious capabilities. TULPAR-S

OTOKAR exhibits TULPAR-S

carries commander, driver and eight fully geared crew members. TULPAR-S has a modern and up to date Vehicle Electronics architecture, Control Systems, Electronically controlled Power Pack, robust Suspension System, Rubber Tracks, Modular Composite Armour, high level Mine Protection, Survivability sys-tems such as Life Support System (com-posed of AC and CBRN filtration), Day and Night Sight Systems, Automatic Fire Suppression System, auxiliary systems such as APU and Pre-heating System, user friendly Human Interfaces, large room provided for Crew and Personnel, carefully designed ILS items such as accessibility, maintainability and reliability.

TULPAR-S fire power is provided by Otokar BASOK RCWS in the Armoured Personnel Carrier configuration. BASOK RCWS, is a stabilised weapon station with 7.62mm machine gun, which is designed for ar-moured fighting vehicles. The system is utilised with CCD day camera and a thermal camera. System is remotely con-trolled by the vehicle commander with a multi-functional display, control unit and handle. The turret can also be manually controlled in case of emergency.

Otokar, the main land systems supplier of Turkish Armed Forces, is displaying its new tracked armoured vehicle TULPAR-S, which stands out thanks to its superior mobility, protection and amphibious capability.

20 2Day 20 Feb. 2017

Raytheon’s Global Patriot Solutions pro-vide 13 countries, including five NATO nations around the globe, with a combat proven missile defense architecture that is continuously upgraded to keep ahead of evolving threats.Admission is automatic for any country that owns the Patriot air and missile de-fense system. And ownership comes with continuous learning, based on real-world data from 2,500 search-and-track flight tests; dozens of annual missile firings; nu-merous training exercises; and ongoing deployments in a wide range of environ-mental and operational conditions. “Part of the Global Patriot Solutions model is getting the most advanced technol-ogy for air and missile defense,” says Joe DeAntona, Vice President, business devel-opment for the Integrated Air and Missile Defense business. “The other part is that all countries cooperate in funding, knowl-

edge sharing, and voting on the next engi-neering innovations.”For 13 nations, Patriot ownership is a tick-et to learn from a select council of defense experts. And to help build the roadmap for the modernization of the ever-evolv-ing Patriot system.“It’s vital that we constantly add new capa-bilities to the Patriot system to stay ahead of evolving global threats,” said DeAntona.Patriot is the cornerstone of air and mis-sile defense for the U.S. and 12 other allied nations in Europe, the Pacific Rim and the Middle East. Countries upgrade the sys-tem regularly in order to field the most advanced Patriot configuration. “At any point in time, we have a full pipe-line of technologies in various stages of maturity,” said DeAntona. “As they are test-ed and certified for operational use, coun-tries can acquire these new capabilities as system upgrades. The countries fund the

Knowledge is power with Global PatriotSolutions

Patriot modernization projects in propor-tion to the number of systems they own, so they can obtain upgraded systems at a fraction of what it would cost for a stan-dalone acquisition.”The upgrade path for Patriot is mapped out at the International Engineering Ser-vices Program annual review. Since 1992, senior military officials from Patriot owner nations have gathered there to share in-formation and vote on the budget for new technology investments. The event allows officials to immerse themselves in all things Patriot. They review shared pri-orities with the larger team, and go over country-specific agendas individually with their U.S. government counterparts.The group also benefits from each other, trading operational knowledge and best practices.“Patriot is deployed 24-7 around the world,” said DeAntona. “The user countries share a wealth of reliability and perfor-mance data from real-world missions in dif-ferent climates and regions. International participation plays a huge role, as every deployment adds to the learning.”Patriot technology has evolved well past the systems initially acquired by the U.S. and other countries.Raytheon also continues to invest in Patri-ot. A major new element in the company’s modernization pipeline is the gallium ni-tride-based active electronically scanned radar array, or AESA, which enables 360 degree coverage by the Patriot radar. The U.S. government recently cleared the Pa-triot AESA radar for export.“Raytheon has invested more than $150 million in gallium nitride technology,” said DeAntona. “Raytheon demonstrated 360 degree capability with our working GaN-based Patriot AESA pilot array, and we are on track to enter engineering and manu-facturing development.”

MISSILE DEFENSE / C5ITM / CYBER / EW / PRECISION WEAPONS / TRAINING

Raytheon

@Raytheon

Raytheon

Raytheon.com

@raytheoncompany

Raytheon has been a committed partner of the UAE for 30 years. We are dedicated to enabling a brighter future, working together to help the UAE

achieve its visionary goals for a better tomorrow.

30 YEARS. AN ENDURINGPARTNERSHIP.

© 2017 Raytheon Company. All rights reserved.

22 2Day 20 Feb. 2017

BAE Systems, a global defence, aerospace and security company, says the GCC is one of its most important markets because of the security threat to governments, infra-structure and businesses here, especially

from cyber-attacks, with regional actors and terrorist groups posing the most sig-nificant challenge. “GCC countries face concerted, advanced and well-resourced state programmes

from adversaries which find a way round traditional defences such as firewalls,” Julian Donald, BAE Systems, Managing Director, Middle East and Asia told the Na-tion Shield. “Our experience is in helping to protect governments from the most sophisticated of threats. The usual signa-ture-based detection packages do not pick up on the ‘unknown unknowns’. Our approach is to look at patterns of activity across the whole data spectrum and iden-tify behaviours that stick out. Defence ministries and armed forces are on the front line of cyber threats and that is who we want to help.”He said it was vital to protect financial in-stitutions from cyber fraud. “The threat is growing, particularly with the use of so-phisticated cyber tools by criminals and terrorist groups.” Basic IT security practice can deal with 80 per cent of the threats. This includes email security, using strong passwords, updating firewalls, and people following IT advice. “But this isn’t enough. You need to take a more sophisticated ap-proach and that is where we come in with our framework of products and bespoke

Cyber-attack threats on the up-swing in the GCC countries

BAE Systems has a host of bespoke solutions to counter the threat“A global defence, aerospace and security company, BAE Systems has a strong presence worldwide including the US, UK, Australia as well as the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia.”

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solutions designed to tackle such threats.”On BAE System’s participation at the IDEX 2017, he said: “Our focus at IDEX 2017 is on providing advanced capability across air, land, sea and cyberspace, with technolo-gies and solutions designed to meet the diverse requirements of regional govern-ments and customers. “There is a particular focus on delivering enhanced capability to address customer need for national defence, security and critical infrastructure protection. The prod-ucts that deliver this include platforms such as Typhoon, the Bradley fighting ve-hicle and the M777 lightweight howitzer, but also solutions that enhance existing platforms including APKWS, ATIRCM and CMWS, Lite HUD displays for F-16 and the 40mk4 naval gun system. “But it’s not purely the technologies on display - there will also be a focus on long-term support and training programmes, such as the training journey built around Hawk which is on our stand at this year’s show. These training programmes provid-ing customers with the capabilities and skills to meet their current and future de-fence and security needs, protecting what matters most so they are incredibly impor-tant. Knowledge transfer is key - and this takes time with a clear, long-term view of developing local skills.Referring to BAE Systems’ association with the UAE, he said his company has been working with the UAE for many years and is currently discussing a number of op-portunities with the UAE Armed Forces to support growth of its land, sea and air capability requirements. “This is also the case around the region. In terms of areas of focus for us, we want bring the success to UAE that we and our customers elsewhere have experienced with several key products including the M777 contract in India and several region-al APKWS contracts. “In addition to the product focus, we have been working to continue building and strengthening our local partnerships, which is something to which we’ve been committed for many years. “We also undertake a number of on-going education programmes in collaboration with local companies and the education authorities in the UAE to support the na-tional agenda and empower the local youth,” he added.

NDCC participates at IDEX

Key issues pertaining to the development of the defense manufacturing sector in the UAE are frequently discussed during the National Defense Companies Council (NDCC) annual meetings, which take place in Abu Dhabi twice a year. This year, during the Abu Dhabi International Off-set Conference (ADIOC) and the IDEX, NDCC will high-light how they have accelerated the process of bringing projects to the UAE, acting as a hub that brings defense stakeholders together under one roof.

The NDCC is part of the Tawazun Econom-ic Council (TEC) that seeks to liaise and facilitate joint projects between national defense contractors and international partners, contributing to the expansion of the defense manufacturing sector. It also acts as a facilitator for foreign direct investment, building defense and security technology platforms and achieving UAE’s defense objectives.One of the NDCC’s many strengths is its administrative committee, which is made up of two Tawazun representatives and five representatives from other national companies. The committee also has mem-bers from the GHQ of the UAE Armed Forces, and from prominent organisations such as Tawazun Economic Council, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Indus-try and making the Council one of the most valuable defense bodies in the UAE and the region.It has long been the Council’s objective to give value and promote its members to international companies allowing them to explore business and investment syner-gies; and this is done between the NDCC that caters purely to UAE companies and the Defense Contractors Council (DCC) that attracts international companies. Once the link is formed between these two organisations, it is hoped that the pairing process between UAE and international companies will bring about a fruitful and strategic partnership that is of value to the UAE’s long-term growth.An example of this process is the an-nouncement by the Tawazun Economic Council at IDEX 2017 of its latest project partnership, between Saab AB (Publ) of

Sweden and Elite Tactical for Military Con-sultancy and Training LLC of the UAE. The partnership will give rise to the Develop-ment Training Facility for the National Ser-vices (Elite Matrix). The aim of the SV Miles Elite Matrix train-ing system is to avoid or reduce the extent of consequences arising from such pres-sure and stress such as losing focus, in-ability to think, surrendering into the situ-ation as a result of severe emotional and psychological effects. The training system also aims at narrowing the gap between what soldiers have learned and what they actually implement during real life opera-tion.Commenting on their latest project an-nouncement, Matar Al Romaithi, Chief Officer, Industrial Development Unit at Ta-wazun Economic Program said, “Tawazun Economic Council is focused on partner-ing up with foreign and local defense con-tractors as well as bringing investments and the latest technologies into the UAE thereby generating knowledge based jobs for UAE nationals and creating busi-ness opportunities for UAE SMEs and large companies. Critically, the Program will continue its mission of establishing strong links between international and national contractors, like we have done here, for the creation of commercially viable, prof-itable and sustainable partnerships. We are happy to be able to announce this new venture at IDEX 2017, which we hope will provide the necessary awareness amongst our target audience to promote our mandate at the Council, for Tawazun and the UAE”.

24 2Day 20 Feb. 2017

“The most recent of these is the GlobalEye platform which provides a Swing Role Sur-veillance System capability for the United Arab Emirates’ Air Force and Air Defence,” he said adding that this partnership also extends to the UAE Naval and Land Forces to whom Saab provide a ranges of systems and training to maximise their operational edge.Saab, which is participating in the IDEX 2017 in a big way, is showcasing a wide range of the smart solutions the compa-ny provides armies, navies and air forces throughout the world. “These range from airborne platforms such as GlobalEye and Swordfish, our world famous Giraffe family of radars, CBRN products, advanced Barracuda cam-ouflage system and advanced training solutions, amongst others,” Rosén told the Nation Shield in an interview.“We have also used IDEX this year to launch a new surveillance system solution

Saab and UAE: A robust partnership

Saab, the Swedish aerospace and defence company, considers the UAE as a strong and strategic partner and greatly values the trust UAE has placed in the company while choosing it as a partner to counter external threats, Hans Rosén, Head of Market Area, Middle East & Africa said.

CoastControl, a new surveillance system solution to secure coastlines, launched at IDEX

Polaris Defense changes name

to secure coastlines called CoastControl which delivers benefits in law enforce-ment, safety and security,” he saidHolding that the presence in the UAE has driven Saab’s growth in the region, he said, having the UAE Armed Forces as a part-ner has immensely helped the company. Besides, the UAE is the perfect place to do business due to the trade friendly ap-proach to investment, the ability to locally recruit skilled staff and the support from both government and local industry. The Middle East is also a region with strong economic growth.“As the Middle East region is a vital and growing market for Saab, we took the decision to launch the new Market Area Middle East & Africa Headquarters with special focus on the UAE” Rosen said.“My role is to lead that organisation from our office in Abu Dhabi to give Saab’s part-ners in the Middle East the capabilities they need across a wide range of defence

and civil sectors. I have run major cam-paigns in Europe, Asia Pacific and most recently in Africa where I oversaw all of Saab’s business activities across that re-gion. “Importantly my team has a wide range of international personnel, including UAE citizens, who operate in key customer management roles and Saab very much benefits from the knowledge and exper-tise they bring in the UAE and the wider Middle East and Africa region.He said a key reason for Saab’s success is the cooperation from local industrial partners. “An excellent example of our ap-proach to local industrial cooperation is Elite Tactical, a UAE-based company with whom Saab is currently collaborating with to deliver a training capability for the UAE Armed Forces, and there will be more to come. Saab is looking forward to being in the UAE for many years.”

Polaris Industries recently announced the name change of its Polaris Defense busi-ness unit to Polaris Government & Defense effective immediately to better reflect the broader customer base that its vehicles, capabilities and technologies serve. This includes defense customers like U.S. and allied military forces, as well as govern-ment organizations including federal, state and local agencies, and non-profits. “We are proud to serve this devoted and

mission-focused group of customers who make a difference, whether it’s serving their country, their state, their counties or cities,” said John Olson, PhD, Vice Presi-dent and General Manager of Polaris Gov-ernment and Defense. “This name change highlights our enduring dedication to providing the most capable, reliable, af-fordable, adaptable, and accessible light mobility vehicles in the world through easy procurement and full lifecycle service

and support to government and defense customers everywhere.”Polaris Government & Defense offers a broad range of ultralight military vehicles, commercial utility vehicles, and advanced capabilities from Polaris or through sever-al other mechanisms, including the Gener-al Services Administration (GSA), Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA).

25

Rafale to be fitted with helmet-mounted display Speeding up the kill chain remains a key

priority for both jet aircrews and troops on the ground. With the new HMD now being tested, Rafale aircrews will soon have at their disposal the required technology to do just that, accelerating the OODA (Ob-serve, Orient, Decide and Act) loop.

In the air-to-air role, the HMD will be used to cue thrust-vectoring, radar or infrared-guided Mica EM/IR missiles for off-bore-sight firings. Mica over-the-shoulder fir-ings were conducted during the Rafale’s operational evaluation, the shooter then relying on targeting information provided by another Rafale via the L16 datalink. The HMD will prove more flexible and lethal, allowing targets to be designated during a turning fight, even when they are outside the field of view of the fighter’s own sen-sors. The adoption of the HMD will thus eliminate the need for the pilot to ma-noeuvre to point the nose of the aircraft at a closing threat. The HMD will also be extremely useful to visually acquire a dis-

tant target: aircrews will be provided with line of sight designation symbols from the aircraft’s sensors and/or weapon seekers right in front of their eyes.The Rafale’s HMD will prove equally use-ful in the air-to-surface role, especially for close air support (CAS) missions or for at-tacks of targets of opportunity. For troops in contact, fire support from the air has to be quick and precise and datalinks, such as the ROVER (Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver) system already in ser-vice on the Rafale, have been developed to reduce the time taken to identify a hos-tile position. When used in conjunction with a targeting pod (Damoclès, Talios or any other foreign type), the HMD will

allow targets to be positively identified more rapidly, particularly in urban envi-ronments where rules of engagement are often more restrictive. The Rafale’s internal Front Sector Optronics (FSO) can also be cued by the HMD, an undisputable proof of the fighter’s weapon system flexibility.Thanks to the fighter’s inherent flexibility, new weapons and systems are regularly added to the Rafale’s inventory to improve its combat efficiency, increase its interop-erability with allied nations and reduce op-erating costs. With the advent of the HMD, Rafale aircrews will be better equipped to engage air and ground threats and prevail in the air combat arena.

Photo credit: Dassault Aviation - V. Almansa

26 2Day 20 Feb. 2017

Seen as the advanced and modern option to replace legacy medium-lift aircraft, the KC-390 is designed to set new standards in its category, while presenting the lowest life-cycle cost in the market and the ability to perform multiple missions such as trans-port and airdrop of troops and cargo, search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation, aerial refueling (fixed and rotary wing) and fire-fighting, among others. Embraer expects KC-390´s initial opera-tional capability declaration (IOC) in the second half of 2017 and the certification of the final operational capability (FOC) in the second half of 2018. The flight test campaign of the KC-390 is progressing extremely well, matching the aircraft per-formance and capability goals predicted through the use of the latest engineering tools. Since the start of the flight test cam-paign, on 26 October 2015, both KC-390 prototypes have presented a very high availability, logging an unprecedented

Jackson Schneider, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security

Embraer sheds light on multi-mission KC-390

Embraer is promoting its new multi-mission, medi-um-lift transport KC-390, at the show. The aircraft made its international debut at the Farnborough Air Show last year, after which it toured Europe and the Middle East visiting potential customers. Embraer did a demo tour in Abu Dhabi last July and the com-pany intends to come back to the region this year.

flight rate in the programme, with more than 800 flight hours accumulated by early February. “The KC-390 brings a new concept to the market as a multi-mission aircraft capable to perform several tasks with a single plat-form”, said Jackson Schneider, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security. “It delivers superior performance by carrying more cargo, faster than any other medium-lift aircraft”.Schneider highlighted that IDEX is one of the most important defense show in the world for Embraer, “because here we can talk to people from all over the world. Our focus this time is on the KC 390, the air cargo middle size transport that we are introducing in the market. The figures that we are getting are very positive, we are reaching all the targets that we set out to achieve and some were much more than what was forecasted.”The aircraft has already flown more than

800 hours and has performed tasks such as troop transport, cargo transport, cargo launch, parachute launch, etc. “We are currently performing refuelling tasks. It is a new concept that we are in-troducing, it’s a multi-mission aircraft, which is very easy to adapt. With KC 390 client can reconfigure the plane with their own team in a couple of hours,” Schneider added. Embraer has already signed a contract for the KC-390 with the Brazilian government and, according to Schneider, there are a lot of other countries interested in it. He said, “The UAE is a representative mar-ket and can be a very good potential cli-ent for us. We are very positive about the product. The first KC-390 will be delivered to the Brazilian air force in the first semes-ter next year. The plan is to spread KC-390 around the world in many countries.”