IN FOCUS: Middle East defence market keeps growing

Flight International ^ | 11/07/2011 | Stephen Trimble

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IN FOCUS: Middle East defence market keeps growing

By: Stephen Trimble Washington DC

A news conference by the elusive ministry of defence of the United Arab Emirates was announced unexpectedly on 18 November 2009. The Dubai air show was all but over, but now the MoD would meet with the press on the afternoon of 19 November.

Until that moment it had appeared the air show - the most important aerospace industry event in the Middle East every other year - was a bust in terms of achieving clarity on several major defence orders.

Entering the event, industry officials ­wondered if a flurry of contract signings and announcements would finally settle several of the UAE's biggest armament decisions. ­Question marks hovered over potential deals for Dassault Rafale fighters, Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master jet trainers and either Boeing 737 airborne early warning and ­control (AEW&C) platforms or Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeyes.

© Northrop Grumman

The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye offers long-range AEW abilities

Fifteen minutes before the 19 November press conference was supposed to begin, a look around a room gave away the likely purpose of this event. Several executives of ­Alenia Aermacchi waited with a handful of ­reporters for the MoD representative to arrive.

Several minutes late, a uniformed UAE military officer entered, strode to the front and announced the press conference was ­cancelled - alas, there would be no answers for defence industry watchers at this Dubai air show.

It is now two years later, and remarkably the three biggest questions about the UAE's armament needs remain unanswered, along with another big-ticket mystery over the status of Saudi Arabia's acknowledged interest in acquiring another batch of 72 Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles.

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One reason for the continued growth in the ME defence market: Iran - most of these ME countries are looking to “bulk up” their own militaries respectively due to the growing Iranian hegemony, as well as influence, in the Middle East Region.

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