ABU DHABI - Defense Conseil International (DCI), a French state-owed training company, has three crowd-control specialists acting as advisers to the Bahrain Army, chief executive Jean-Louis Rotrubin said at the IDEX trade show.
The advisers, drawn from the French Gendarmerie Nationale and elite GIGN special forces unit, are part of a program to train Bahrain special Zforces in non-lethal crowd control and the avoidance of the use of deadly force, he said. The program is just beginning.
The program aims "to develop a new approach to how manage crowds in cities," Rotrubin said.
Security forces used deadly force against protesters in recent street demonstrations in Bahrain, leaving six dead and hundreds wounded. An inquiry into the deaths of demonstrators was one of the conditions opposition groups demanded before opening talks with the Bahrain monarchy.
DCI also has sent French personnel to Libya to train pilots and maintenance crews, aimed at bringing the Libyan Air Force's Mirage F1 fighters back into active service. Up until three years ago, an embargo prevented the delivery of spare parts, which meant Libya was unable to fly the Mirage F1, Rotrubin said.
In the Gulf region, DCI is in the early stages of developing military training and general education programs for the Qatar Air Force and Navy, he said.
As part of an agreement with the Qatar Navy announced at the Imdex trade show in March last year, the French company is setting up a naval school for petty officers and officer cadets.
DCI is also helping the Qatar Air Force to create an aeronautical academy, he said. One of the aims is to train up Qatari personnel to be more self reliant in aircraft maintenance rather than rely on third party sources.
"It's very important for them to master the technology and the know how in their new defense approach," he said.
DCI is helping organize BA and MA degree courses for the armed forces personnel so they receive a broad university education, in addition to the military training. DCI is working with North Atlantic University of Canada for the degree courses.
As part of the region's drive to foster education, the UAE agreed with the Paris Sorbonne University to open an annex here, while Qatar is host to a branch of the French HEC business school.
The Arabian Gulf region accounts for around two thirds of DCI's annual sales, with Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE generating significant revenue. Some 20 years ago, DCI was only present in Saudi Arabia, which requested crew training for the Sawari frigate program, based on the stealthy La Fayette warship. DCI also provided training for UAE crews for the Leclerc battle tank, and helicopters for the Kuwait armed forces.
The advisers, drawn from the French Gendarmerie Nationale and elite GIGN special forces unit, are part of a program to train Bahrain special Zforces in non-lethal crowd control and the avoidance of the use of deadly force, he said. The program is just beginning.
The program aims "to develop a new approach to how manage crowds in cities," Rotrubin said.
Security forces used deadly force against protesters in recent street demonstrations in Bahrain, leaving six dead and hundreds wounded. An inquiry into the deaths of demonstrators was one of the conditions opposition groups demanded before opening talks with the Bahrain monarchy.
DCI also has sent French personnel to Libya to train pilots and maintenance crews, aimed at bringing the Libyan Air Force's Mirage F1 fighters back into active service. Up until three years ago, an embargo prevented the delivery of spare parts, which meant Libya was unable to fly the Mirage F1, Rotrubin said.
In the Gulf region, DCI is in the early stages of developing military training and general education programs for the Qatar Air Force and Navy, he said.
As part of an agreement with the Qatar Navy announced at the Imdex trade show in March last year, the French company is setting up a naval school for petty officers and officer cadets.
DCI is also helping the Qatar Air Force to create an aeronautical academy, he said. One of the aims is to train up Qatari personnel to be more self reliant in aircraft maintenance rather than rely on third party sources.
"It's very important for them to master the technology and the know how in their new defense approach," he said.
DCI is helping organize BA and MA degree courses for the armed forces personnel so they receive a broad university education, in addition to the military training. DCI is working with North Atlantic University of Canada for the degree courses.
As part of the region's drive to foster education, the UAE agreed with the Paris Sorbonne University to open an annex here, while Qatar is host to a branch of the French HEC business school.
The Arabian Gulf region accounts for around two thirds of DCI's annual sales, with Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE generating significant revenue. Some 20 years ago, DCI was only present in Saudi Arabia, which requested crew training for the Sawari frigate program, based on the stealthy La Fayette warship. DCI also provided training for UAE crews for the Leclerc battle tank, and helicopters for the Kuwait armed forces.
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