 |
The UAE purchased 32 new Mirage 2000-9 jets
in 1998, such as this jet which performed at the Dubai Airshow four years ago.
Pawan Singh / The National
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The announcement came on the sidelines of the
Dubai Air Show but it was not immediately clear when the deal would be signed
November 14, 2017
Updated: November 14, 2017 07:11 PM
The UAE Armed Forces are set to upgrade their Mirage
2000-9 jet fighters.
Maj Gen Staff Pilot Ishaq Al Balushi said the Government
intends to sign a deal with French firms Dassault Aviation and Thales to
modernise the fleet.
The announcement came on the sidelines of the Dubai Air
Show and was reported by Wam. It was not immediately clear when the deal would
be signed.
It followed the news that the UAE and Lockheed Martin
signed a US$1.6 billion (Dh5.8bn) deal to upgrade the UAE's F-16s.
F-16s and Dassault Mirages form the backbone of the UAE
Air Force fighter capabilities.
Many UAE pilots learned to fly on Mirages during the
1970s. In 1998, the UAE purchased 32 new Mirage 2000-9 jets, while 30 of the
older Mirage 2000s were revamped. The Mirage was developed in the 1970s and is
a single-engine jet fighter. Hundreds were made and it is operated by several
countries across the globe.
There have been previous reports the UAE was considering
buying the Rafale, Dassault's advanced fighter, but no firm deals have ever
been made.
Maj Gen Al Balushi, who is head of the executive
directorate of industries and development of defence capabilities, at the
Ministry of Defence, said the upgrade news comes within the framework of the
UAE leadership's support of the development of the Armed Forces.
Original post: thenational.ae
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