ABU DHABI, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) military said Tuesday that it has inked deals worth a combined 2.7billion dirhams (about 734.3 million U.S. dollars) for early warning and training aircraft as the country continues to ramp up its military capabilities, reported Maktoob Business, a leading business news website in the region.
According to a statement released during the Dubai Airshow, which opened Sunday, the UAE Armed Force has signed an 814.4-million-dirham agreement with Sweden's Saab for two 340 early warning aircraft and a 1.89-billion-dirham deal with Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland for 25 basic training aircraft, the report said.
The statement said the 814.4-million-dirham Saab deal includes value of the aircraft, associated systems, training, and providing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.
The first aircraft will be delivered in the third quarter of 2010, with the second delivered in the first quarter of 2011, it said.
The UAE Armed Force described the Saab deal as an interim arrangement until a permanent solution can be found, Maktoob Business said.
"It is a solution that achieves the current air force operational requirement," said the statement, adding that the UAE is expected to purchase a permanent command and early warning aircraft system in the future for which Saab, Boeing and Northrop Grumman are in the running.
On the Pilatus deal, the UAE Armed Force said it will include several training simulators to train pilots. The first will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2011 and deliveries will continue through the first quarter of 2012, the statement said.
The five-day Dubai Airshow, the region's foremost aviation exhibition, opened Sunday at the Dubai Airport Expo Center.
Some 900 companies from 48 countries or regions are exhibiting at the biennial event, an increase over the previous show in 2007.Up to 150 new-to-market exhibitors from 20 countries are making their debuts at the show and more than 50,000 visitors are expected.
