UAE to Buy Advanced Missiles

The UAE and the US government have executed a letter of offer and acceptance for the purchase of Raytheon’s AIM-120 C-7 missiles, equipping the UAE with the most advanced version of the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air missile (AMRAAM).

“The value of the deal is sizeable and deliveries will start mid to late 2011,” P.T. Mikolashek, President of Raytheon Middle East & North Africa told Reuters, declining to state the value.

“There are other countries in the region such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and Oman that are looking at upgrades of their missile programmes,” he said at the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX), the Middle East’s largest military show that began on Sunday. Raytheon is the US No. 5 defence contractor.