Local firms grab defence deals worth Dh443m at Abu Dhabi exhibitions

Abu Dhabi - Adasi will supply the new Camcopter S-100 unmanned aerial vehicles to the UAE Armed Forces.

 Local companies won the lion's share of seven defence deals worth over Dh468 million signed by the UAE Armed Forces in Abu Dhabi on Monday, February 24.
The deals amounting to Dh468,871,154 were signed on the last day of Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (Umex) and Simulation Exhibition and Conference (SimTEX). Local firms including defence conglomerate Edge entities Adasi and Earth won majority of the contracts signed on Monday.
"The total worth of deals signed by local companies amounted to Dh443,049,964, while those by international companies are worth Dh25,821,190," said Staff Brigadier Tareq Mohammed Al Bannai, spokesman for the exhibitions. "The overall worth of deals signed in two days is Dh624,962,659," he said.
"It shows the trust of customers in local companies and their ability to compete with international companies. The figure is evidence to success of our local companies," Al Bannai added.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, who visited the exhibitions on Monday, said research, innovation and development are the backbone of an advanced industry. "The UAE, as part of its strategy of preparing for the future, invests in the technology of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and artificial intelligence (AI)," Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said on his Twitter account after attending the exhibitions.
Adasi wins Dh414m contracts
UAE firm Adasi was awarded two deals worth Dh234 million and another worth Dh180 million to make it a combined contracts of Dh414 million. Another Edge entity Earth grabbed contracts on purchase of unmanned vehicles was worth Dh22 million.
Adasi will supply the new Camcopter S-100 unmanned aerial vehicles to the UAE Armed Forces. The drone has a range of 80km to 180km depending on tracking antenna, endurance up to six hours and transponder for a wide range of altitudes. S-100 can be used in military operations like intelligence gathering, inspections, surveillance and reconnaissance, target acquisition, naval support and border patrol. It can also track moving targets and be deployed for emergency response. It has customised support setup for constrained ship environments.
Dr Fahad Al Yafei, president - Platforms and Systems, Edge, noted Adasi has established itself as a regional leader in the unmanned systems sector. "Adasi's products and services are crucial to ensure mission readiness and optimum operational effectiveness. This agreement further expands its provision with GHQ, and underscores our drive to leverage advanced technologies to enable us to operate on the leading-edge of tomorrow."
Ali Al Yafei, CEO of Adasi, said: "This contract is testament to our proven ability to configure systems to suit tactical demands, enabling us to take on new challenges and help our partners excel in the field."
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi