UAE axes $879m military helicopter deal with Airbus
Muammar Abdulla Abushehab, defense and security industry affairs sector chief for the UAE’s Tawazun Council, stressed that the decision was not a political one.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has canceled a contract worth nearly $879 million to buy 12 H225 Caracal multirole military helicopters (H225M) from France's aircraft giant Airbus, an Emirati government official said.
“We recently terminated a contract with Airbus Helicopters to purchase H225 helicopters,” Muammar Abdulla Abushehab, defense and security industry affairs sector chief for the UAE’s Tawazun Council, told Breaking Defense in an interview published Tuesday.
“We found it difficult to continue the contract due to the high lifecycle cost, the limitations in adapting to modular designs of future mission requirements, and the complex technical proposal,” he added.
The council is a government entity that works closely with the UAE Ministry of Defense and security agencies. It covers research and development as well as acquisitions and technological innovation in the UAE’s defense sector.
