By: Amr Adel

Dubai – Mubasher: The UAE’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) on Tuesday announced the signing of eight deals in the third day of the Dubai Airshow.

The new deals worth AED 3.34 billion were closed with three local and five international companies, said Major-General Staff Pilot Ishaq Saleh Al-Balushi, head of the executive directorate of industries and development of defence capabilities at the MOD. 

The UAE’s MOD entered into a contract with US-based Raytheon Company to purchase GBU-12 and GBU-10 paveway laser-guided bomb kits in an AED 2.5 billion deal, Al-Balushi added during a press conference.

The new deal brings the total value of the deals closed during the first three days of the Airshow to AED 13.13 billion, according to an official statement.

The defence ministry inked an AED 304.4 million deal with the UAE’s C4 Advanced Solutions to provide telecommunication and logistics services, in addition to an AED 57.5 million contract with Belarus-based Beltech Export to provide maintenance services to the radar system, Al-Balushi revealed. 

The UAE Armed Forces also concluded an AED 32.67 million agreement with Switzerland's Rheinmetall Air Defence to supply 35mm artillery shells for Air Defense, Al-Balushi continued.

The Major-General Staff Pilot stated that the MOD reached a deal to purchase MK-82 and MK-84 bombs with the Turkish Chemical and Mechanical Industries Corporation in consideration of AED 74 million.

The UAE Armed Forces inked a contract with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways for transportation and shipping of AED 165.28 million materials and equipment, Al-Balushi concluded.

Translated by: Muhammad Khalid.