‘Grifo-S’ fire-control radar

Alenia Aeronautica’s CEO Giovanni Bertolone said that “the UAE selection for the Aermacchi marks a huge success for one of the Italian aeronautical technology’s flagship designs and the decision came as a surprise for most defence experts as well as for Lockheed.” An Aermacchi-official underlined to ACIG, that the M346 would – he mentioned the slow-progressing AEJPT ‘Eurotraining’ as well as Singapore or Austria – now be based on a much broader economical and industrial basis. The plane was evaluated in Al Ain in 2007 and half of the order would be fitted with the small ‘Grifo-S’ fire-control radar. The contract could be worth nearly € 1 billion and as – another – joint-venture, Alenia signed a composite-production for civil aircrafts with ‘Mubadala’.

Italy’s role in the UAE may be lesser known than of more ‘high-profile’ military forces like US and France “but that is by design”, one UAE-officer said. “It’s under the radar, but very effective.” In fact, Abu Dhabi’s Bateen Air Base has evolved as a key staging-post for the Italian government’s missions in the region. A team of 100 Italians stationed there support a fleet of AMI C-130s, ferrying troops and materials to Afghanistan. An AMI general-staff officer present at the Finmeccanica-chalet confirmed: “Without the Emirates, we couldn’t perform our ISAF-operations.”
For US$ 291 millions, the Navy of the UAE will further get two maritime-patrol aircrafts on the basis of the Bombardier DHC-8/Q300, equipped by Canadian contractor ‚Provincial Aerospace’. The integrator from St. Johns will led a team by Honeywell-UK, Saab-South Africa and US ‘FLIR-Systems Inc’. Given the much smaller plattform and ~US$ 145 millions per aircraft, the on-board equipment should be rather ‘opulent’, compared to ‘only’ US$ 183 millions/plane for Boeing’s recently fixed P-8I (on basis of the 737-800) for India. And that plattform also covers ASW-duties.
Already well established in police-service in Abu Dhabi as well as in Group 18 of the UAE-AFs Special Forces Command, the 15-seat Augusta-Westland AW139 got another confirmation worth ~US$ 60 millions. 7 SAR-versions for ‘Abu Dhabi Aviation’ and 2 further VIP-ships for the forces were announced. Last summer, the armed forces of Qatar ordered 18 of the type.