The Emirati military is seeking an undisclosed number of KUH-1E helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries, Cho Seok Joon, a senior manager with the company’s rotorcraft division, told Defense News during the Dubai Airshow, which runs Nov. 13-17.

The KUH-1E is an export version of the twin-engine KUH-1 Surion. The former can carry 18 people, including two pilots, whereas the latter can accommodate 18 total. The UAE is seeking a maritime variant.

“Instead of the gun present in the KUH, it is equipped with a radar,” Cho noted.

A spokesperson with the Emirati Defence Ministry told Defense News the country is currently evaluating the aircraft.

“At the ministry, we have several layers of tests for all equipment. Once it’s complete, we give our verdict,” the representative said.

The Surion can perform military transport and airfreight missions, among other functions.

The export variant’s power comes from a pair of 1,855-shaft-horsepower GE T700-701K turboshaft engines. It can reach a maximum speed of 147 knots (169 mph) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 19,200 pounds.

“This system is an expensive system, and there’s no way to provide it with local resources,” he told state media Oct. 29. “We need a strategic partner.”

“There are potential ballistic missile threats against Jordan,” he added, without specifying them.

Jordan does not host American bases, Hiyari said, but the U.S. does have a presence in the country to train Jordanian forces and provide upgrades and maintenance to equipment. In January 2021, the countries signed a defense cooperation agreement, which gives the U.S. “unimpeded access” to certain Jordanian facilities.

Also on Sunday, the General Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces dismissed allegations that U.S. aircraft were using local air bases to supply Israel with equipment and ammunition for use in the Israel-Hamas war.

The military alleged the aim of such allegations is to undermine Jordan’s steadfast support of Palestine and to tarnish the reputation of its armed forces. It said Jordanian field hospitals are attending to the casualties from attacks on in the Gaza Strip and the Royal Jordanian Air Force remains committed to delivering humanitarian and relief aid to Palestinians.

The Jordanian government called for an end to violence in Gaza and warned of dangerous repercussions. It has also condemned Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people and emphasized Jordan’s role in protecting the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

Deliveries began in December 2021 as part of an effort to enhance the service’s combat readiness.

The Eurofighter acquisition program is part of a collaboration between Kuwait and Italy, in which their air forces train together.

The Italian Air Force is providing air-to-air refueling with its KC-767A tanker aircraft, and the service plans to train pilots, engineers and technicians to support Kuwait’s Eurofighter fleet.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is equipped with electronic warfare capabilities and a Mauser BK27mm gun. It can also carry various types of missiles.

The aircraft can reach speeds exceeding Mach 1, and each of the jets sent to Kuwait have an active electronically scanned array radar. The aircraft received thus far have exceeded 400 flight hours in total.

The eventual 28 Eurofighters will complement the Kuwaiti Air Force’s F/A-18 Hornet and Mirage F1 jets.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the pending sale July 15. The proposed deal comes as US Secretary of State John Kerry met with his counterparts — Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir and recently appointed British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in London on July 20 to discuss ongoing operations in Yemen.

The UAE has been involved in air operations in Yemen since March 23, 2015. The country’s pilots are also flying sorties for Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria as part of a coalition fighting the Islamic State group.

The new UAE weapons request is for 7,700 Paveway II GBU-10 guidance kits with 7,700 Mk-84/BLU-117 bombs. A further 5,940 Paveway II GBU-12 guidance kits with 5,940 Mk-82/BLU-111 bombs were ordered.

Also part of the deal are 500 GBU-31V1 JDAM guidance kits with 500 Mk-84/BLU- 117 bombs, plus an additional 500 JDAM guidance kits with 500 BLU-109 bombs and 14,640 FMU-152 fuzes.

Despite the ongoing peace talks in Kuwait, the Yemen war rages on. Last month, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said that UAE military operations will stop, but he later retracted his statement claiming that the operations would continue.

Gargash said on his Twitter account on July 20 that the US, UK , Saudi Arabian and UAE foreign ministers had all agreed on continued international support in Yemen, pushing for a political solution to the standoff.

“It is evident in the quartet meeting in London [that] coordination of synergies between regional and international powers is increasing, which will support our political efforts in the next phase. It is important that the Yemenis are aware of the importance of the opportunity (of the peace talks) in Kuwait and put the national interest above partisan ambitions,” Garagsh said in a tweet.

He stated that the quartet meeting agreed that the success of the political solution begins with the withdrawal of Houthi militias from Sanaa and other civilian centers.

According to a statement released by CAE on June 15, the Comprehensive Naval Training Centre (NTC) will support individual, team, whole ship, and joint/collective mission training capabilities. The helicopter simulators for the Joint Aviation Command will feature the NorthStar Aviation 407 Multi-Role Helicopter (407MRH) as well as the Sikorsky UH-60M Armed Black Hawk.

Under the NTC contract, CAE will design and develop Phase A of the training center. Potential phases for the NTC program could be worth over US$350 million over the next 15 years. The 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, the company said in their statement.

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.

“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 Colabatistto, group president for CAE 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 enterprise that helps the UAE Navy achieve a high level of fleet operational readiness.”

The NTC will be located in Al-Taweelah in the emirate of Abu Dhabi 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 helicopter simulators suite and training devices for the 407MRH and the UH-60M Black Hawk will be delivered to the UAE during 2017 and 2018 respectively, CAE said.

For the NorthStar Aviation 407MRH, a modified variant of the Bell 407GX specifically designed for light attack, close air support, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, CAE will design and manufacture a high-fidelity, fixed-based Level-7 equivalent flight training device (FTD).  In addition, CAE will provide a suite of desktop trainers and brief/debrief systems.

CAE said that they will be working closely with NorthStar Aviation, who last year signed a collaboration agreement with CAE to conduct flight test data collection and support the development of high-fidelity training devices for the 407MRH.

“The UAE as well as other Gulf Cooperation Council countries are making significant investments in simulation-based training,” said  Colabatistto. “These will be the first simulator and training devices developed for the 407MRH so our partnership with NorthStar Aviation along with CAE’s extensive experience with helicopter simulation will help ensure we deliver world-class training systems on-schedule.”

The UH-60M/ABH full-mission simulator representing the armed variant of the Black Hawk helicopter will feature a six-degree-of-freedom motion system, vibration platform, and extreme field-of-view display system.

The simulators and training devices for both the 407MRH and UH-60M will include the CAE Medallion-6000 image generator with Common Database (CDB) architecture, which will further enhance networked, interoperable mission training across platforms.

amustafa@defensenews.com

UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, made the announcement during a lecture held at the crown prince of Abu Dhabi’s court: “Our standpoint is clear: War is over for our troops. We are monitoring political arrangements, empowering Yemenis in liberated areas.”

When the statement was released no responses were issued by the Saudi government or the coalition leadership in Riyadh concerning the cessation of UAE military activities.

Gargash on Thursday released a public statement elaborating that the military is still part of the Saudi-led coalition “as an able and true partner to Riyadh.”

“Our armed forces, as I have stated in my lecture, has performed its duties in the most courageous and professional manner and this will continue with Saudi Arabia until the coalition announces the end of the war,” he said.

The coalition has been engaging in UN-sponsored peace talks with Houthi rebels now for almost two months.

Despite the negotiations, Gargash stressed that there is still no unified vision for the future.

“After 50 discouraging days of Yemeni peace talks in Kuwait, there is no unified vision for the future. There are alarming signs that the south wants to defect and that radicalism is on the rise,” he said.

Other obstacles Yemen faces include the rise of al-Qaida with the support of the Muslim Brotherhood, the minister added. He blamed Iranian influence for fueling sectarian divisions in the region and “exporting chaos.”

Smoke and fire billow during an April 5 controlled explosion by Yemeni experts to destroy explosives and mines laid by Houthi rebels in the southern city of Aden.

Photo Credit: Saleh al-Obeid/AFP via Getty Images

“The future of stability means taking a bigger stance when it comes to national security. Legitimacy needs to be restored and the Iranian influence has to be stopped. It’s time that the line be drawn,” he added.

According to Ahmed Al Astad, chairman of Abu Dhabi-based Strategic Center for Energy Studies and Decision Support, Istishary, the UAE will focus on the security and developmental operations in Yemen. 

“The UAE forces have been operating, ensuring that the spread of al-Qaida and Islamic State terrorists are stopped and nipped,” Al Astad said.

“The security posture is to enhance political, social and security stability in the country, making operations and activities focused on development and empowering Yemenis to regain control over their affairs, which in turn reflects on regional security and stability,” he said.

He added that while the negotiations with the rebels are ongoing, the UAE move reflects interest in focusing on the Yemeni populous and engaging with them by providing much-needed development and humanitarian aid.

“While the negotiations are ongoing, the next period should focus on the developmental side of things — issues like unemployment are serious. There has been talks of division from the north earlier that also have to be addressed,” he said.

Marib’s Governor Sultan al-Arada, lower right, speaks on June 7 in the city of Marib, Yemen, after young Houthi fighters were released by the Saudi-backed government. The UN envoy for Yemen had been trying to push the two sides to agree to release half of all their prisoners before Ramadan, which began on June 6.

Photo Credit: Abdullah al-Qadry/AFP via Getty Images

Mahmood Sharief Mahmood, adviser and head of research at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, said that despite the southern part of Yemen being mostly liberated, small pockets of risk and insurgency remain.

Mahmood added that the peace talks in Kuwait are focused on resolving hostilities in the north.

“The coalition want the Houthis to dissolve their revolutionary committee, then [establish] a military and security committee where members from both sides would be nominated,” he said. A number of issues, however, are hindering such a goal, he said, such as disarmament, setting a timeline for the introduction of a new transitional government and the transitional government’s makeup.

“The Houthis reject the surrender of heavy weaponry, which the agreement calls for,” he said. “In the southern part of Yemen, especially in Al Mukalla, the UAE is trying to establishing [a] military and policing role for stabilizing security.”

The agreement is considered the first stage in the post-war coalition plan.

The second stage, Mahmood said, is instituting the rule of law through a legal and judicial system. This will be followed by the creation of an adequate governance system and stabilization of the economy by instituting services, creating jobs and promoting economic activity.

“The development and infrastructure process will also begin at this stage. The Kuwait monetary fund had pledged to participate in the nation-building process,” Mahmood said. “Infrastructure development is the most attractive investment at this point because this does not require engagement on the ground in a post-conflict situation”.

In his statements, Gargash said that the UAE would help to rebuild Yemen but, ultimately, “building Yemen is the role of the Yemenis.”

Email: amustafa@defensenews.com

The news was announced by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash made the announcement during a lecture held at the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi’s court on Wednesday night.

In a tweet summarizing Gargash’s remarks, Sheikh Mohammed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the armed forces, said: “Our standpoint is clear: war is over for our troops. We are monitoring political arrangements, empowering Yemenis in liberated areas.”

According to Abu Dhabi owned newspaper, The National, Gargash discussed the difficult choice the UAE made to become involved in the war in Yemen and the disappointing results of peace talks.

“After 50 discouraging days of Yemeni peace talks in Kuwait, there is no unified vision for the future. There are alarming signs that the south wants to defect and that radicalism is on the rise,” he was quoted saying by the newspaper.

Other obstacles Yemen faces include the rise of al-Qaida with the support of the Muslim Brotherhood, the minister added. He also criticized Iranian influence for fueling sectarian divisions in the region and “exporting chaos.”

“War was never the choice but it was the only solution after exhausting all other outcomes,” he was quoted.

“The future of stability means taking a bigger stance when it comes to national security. Legitimacy needs to be restored and the Iranian influence has to be stopped. It’s time that the line be drawn.”

Gargash added that the UAE would help to rebuild Yemen but ultimately “building Yemen is the role of the Yemenis.”

According to Mahmoud Sharief Mahmoud, director of research at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, the military operations have ended.

“The role of the UAE noncombatant forces will begin with civilian forces in Yemen to start the process of nation building,” Mahmoud said. He added that the UAE forces will remain in a security posture until the transition is complete.

“We should be expecting the return of UAE forces within the coming months as their will not be any immediate withdrawal until security is stabilized,” Mahmoud added.

The announcement came on the back of the negotiations in Kuwait held between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi rebels sponsored by the United Nations. The role of a military committee and the formation of a transitional government is one point of contention for the Saudis, said Mahmoud.

However, Mahmoud added that the agreement currently hangs on one point of contention: “Saudi has agreed on to all points of the agreement with the Houthi rebels. However, there was one point that was preventing them from finalizing it: the clause involved the role of the military committee and the timing of the formation of a transitional government.” he said.

However a A statement from the coalition should be expected in the next coming days, Mahmoud added.

Another threat to the agreement, said Mahmoud, is the deputy leader of the Houthi rebels, Abdullah Al Razami,  who is currently is amassing his forces towards the northern border of Yemen with Saudi Arabia in an attempt to derail the agreement.” 

Currently o One threat to the agreement remains. “The threat comes from the deputy leader of the Houthi rebels, Abdullah Al Razami who is currently is amassing his forces towards the northern border of Yemen with Saudi Arabia in an attempt to derail the agreement,” he added.

No statements have been made by the Saudi government or the coalition leadership in Riyadh concerning the UAE announcement. Currently, the Saudi air and ground forces are engaging in Yemen along with a large number of troops from Sudan in addition to Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.

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Speaking to Russian state news agency TASS, Vladimir Kozhin said that one S-300 battalion has already been supplied to Iran. He added that other launchers due under the effective contract would be delivered by the end of 2016.

“The first batch — about one battalion — has been shipped. We will comply with our liabilities by the end of the year,” Kozhin told TASS.

The first battalion was shown off by the Iranian military at the National Army Day parade in Tehran on April 17, six days after the receipt of the system.

According to the original contract, Moscow and Tehran signed for the delivery of five battalion sets of S-300 PMU1 air defense missile systems in 2007.

During a brief to the Iranian parliament last month, the head of its defense commission, Esmayeel Kosari, said: “Based on the contract and the agreement inked between Iran and Russia, the missile systems’ equipment will be transferred to the country in parts.

“Based on the timetable, the S-300 parts will be sent to Iran in different stages, and its parts, including missiles, launch pads and radars, will be delivered to the country gradually.”

Kosari said that the large volume of S-300 parts is the reason behind its gradual delivery to Iran.

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The General Command of the UAE’s armed forces said the plane went down during a training flight over the country.

“The accident resulted in the death of the crew consisting of a pilot and instructor and authorities are conducting investigations to determine the cause of the accident,” a statement issued by state news agency Wam said.

No further details on the type of aircraft have been released.

The pilot, 32-year-old Air Force Capt. Nawwaf Abdullah Salim Al-Nuaimi, joined the UAE military in 2001 and the Air Force in 2004.

According to a former contractor with the armed forces’ General Headquarters (GHQ), the UAE military two years ago made a conscious effort to develop their standard of health and safety by sending officers to acquire internationally recognized certifications to implement standards and training for crew and pilots, and to develop an indigenous health and safety culture.

Since 2010, 12 military and Air Force pilots and crew have been killed in either training missions or accidents, according to public statements released by GHQ.

Another two were killed during combat operations in Yemen in March this year.

According to the former contractor, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, a lack of safety culture still exists within the ranks of the military.

“There is a reliance on purchases from original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and the perception is that it’s always the OEM’s fault,” the contractor said.

Public records show that since 2011, three Dassault Mirage 2000-9s have been lost.

One in combat in March, one during a training mission in 2011 and the third in 2012 due to a crew member accident.

Another fighter jet was lost in April 2011 in Italy during a base transfer operation. An Air Force F-16 Block 60 crash-landed and was destroyed. However the pilot saved himself when he ejected.

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Speaking to Defense News, retired Lt. Col. David Montgomery Leigh, of Britain’s Parachute Regiment, warned that terrorist groups are rapidly developing off-the-shelf technology for terror use and have acquired a tactical surprise capacity.

“Few people in the defense industry are seeing the threat from low-tech, high-impact projectiles with explosive warheads that terrorists can use. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to operate such a capability that takes place in a matter of minutes,” he said.

“My concern for the Qatari World Cup 2022 is the evolving use of low-altitude mortars and rockets that is occurring as we speak is going to be an issue. Why? Because the terrorists have their own version of low-tech miniaturization that gives them a tactical surprise capacity. After all, such weapons can be launched from the back of a garbage cart or boot of a car,” Leigh said.

According to Richard Galustian, a senior security analyst, SHORAD measures are essential for Qatar to counter evolving terrorist threats.

“To be sure, terrorist groups like Islamic State are likely planning to disrupt the World Cups in 2018 and 2022 already,” he said. “It is notable that violent extremists groups are already experimenting with mortars and rockets but also with armed UAVs and their lessons learned from the battlefields across the MENA region.”

In Russia, he said, for the 2018 World Cup, security experts consider the country’s safety measures advanced and comprehensive.

Leigh warned that the Islamic State group can modify its tactics to asymmetric warfare with short-range attacks on large events.

“[An attack is] becoming inevitable one day and will be a devil to counter unless planning for the future starts now,” he said.

Since 2012, Qatar has been developing its defensive capabilities through the National Security Shield Project (NSS) to secure its vast maritime oil and gas fields, and other high-value targets.

The project consists of constructing an integrated control-and-protection network operated through electronic surveillance and reconnaissance stations along Qatar’s sea, coastal and land borders, all connected to a headquarters.

Since 1989, Qatar has been operating the Roland — a legacy Franco-German mobile short-range surface-to-air missile system.

Last month, as part of NSS, the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces signed a memorandum of understand to acquire a coastal defense system from French defense supplier MBDA, equipped with Exocet MM40 Block 3 and Marte extended-range missiles. Upon signing, this contract will be valued at €640 million (US $718 million).

Speaking with Defense News, Galustian said it is unclear what the full scope of NSS is and whether it includes a provision for the detection and destruction of very low-level, unsophisticated SHORAD/VSHORAD threats, or very short-range air defense systemsSHORRAD/VSHORRAD threats.

An artist’s impression of the Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor City, a host venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, is shown. The stadium is expected to have a capacity of 60,000 and host matches through to the semifinal round.

Photo Credit: Qatar 2022/Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy via Getty Images

“In the current climate, terrorists are very effective at quickly producing an innovative, short-range, unsophisticated weapon system, which exploits the capability gap. There are other countries in the [Gulf Cooperation Council] GCC, such as Saudi Arabia, [the United Arab Emirates] UAE and Oman, that employ the use of an integrated detection and fire control system that can detect these small but deadly threats and destroy them with a 35mm weapon system coupled with smart ammunition in combination with missiles when these are required to be deployed,” he said.

“There are a number of countries using the Roland system to fill the SHORRAD/VSHORRAD threat. This capability is missile-based with a 13 kilogram fragmentation warhead. When comparing this to the 35mm system favored by most GCC countries, with smart ammunition, the latter is much more precise at surveillance, detection and fire control. However, its major advantage is relatively new, sophisticated ammunition called A-HEAD, which neutralizes a low-altitude threat in a much more effective and efficient manner than a missile,” he said.

Galustian warned that technology for the future deployment of weapon systems to counter SHORRAD/VSHORRAD is moving at a pace and becoming quite futuristic in nature. 

He said new American and European laser technologies are being developed that will discreetly complement gun and missile defenses while providing an extremely potent solution that ensures the minimum effect on the public at large sporting events. “Laser technology is by far the most important development underway for future air defensive measures,” he said.

Email: amustafa@defensenews.com