Abu Dhabi - Nexter has signed a number of deals for munitions and local industrial cooperation aimed at boosting its business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Middle East region, an executive of the French land systems company said at the IDEX show here.
Among recent contract wins:
■ The supply of 30mm ammunition for the Dassault Mirage 2000-9 fighters of the UAE Air Force, a deal signed with the International Golden Group, based here, in early 2011.
■ Supply of a "very significant number" of Bonus 155mm, 52-caliber anti-tank artillery rounds for an undisclosed Middle East country, signed toward the end of 2010.
Nexter has sold its Caesar truck-mounted artillery to Saudi Arabia and Thailand, as well as the French Army.
■ A deal with the International Golden Group to supply the Azur up-armor kit for the UAE Army's Leclerc battle tank. The kit includes extra protection for combat in urban zones.
Nexter executives are looking to that recent sale of Bonus rounds to provide a sales platform for the UAE Army.
As part of its renewed sales effort in the region, Nexter signed Feb. 21 an agreement with the Burkan industrial group, based here, aimed at transferring to its local partner production of tens of thousands of the 120mm shell for the Leclerc tank fleet.
Burkan is a joint venture of German company Rheinmetall, the state-owned Mubadala holding group and the Al Jaber company.
Nexter also signed Feb. 21 a memorandum of understanding with Al Taif Technical Services for its local partner to provide maintenance for the UAE's Leclerc tanks and armored recovery vehicles. Al Taif is part of Mubadala.
Nexter is pitching its Véhicule Blindé Combat d'Infantrie (VBCI) in the UAE's competition for a fleet of armored personnel carriers estimated at 600, which includes a number of fighting vehicles.
A transfer of technology that allows local munitions production and a higher level of local tank and armored vehicle maintenance are intended to meet the UAE's drive to develop its defense industrial base, Nexter executive Bruno Burgon said.
Nexter is keen to be retained in any future modernization of the Leclerc, which was designed as a complete system. It fears third-party work might reduce the internal cohesion.
The signing of the "gentlemen's agreement" on local munitions production opens the way for talks to begin in April on work shares. The first batch of shells to be locally produced would be practice rounds before moving on to making combat munitions, which are expected to include new-generation high explosive and armor-piercing shells.
Nexter is also hoping to sell its Narwhal 20mm naval gun to the UAE Navy for mounting on fast patrol boats and the Baynunah missile corvette built by the Abu Dhabi-owned CMN shipyard in Cherbourg, northern France.
Nexter has signed up to the UAE's new offset agreement, which underpins the government's bid to strengthen its industrial base.
Among recent contract wins:
■ The supply of 30mm ammunition for the Dassault Mirage 2000-9 fighters of the UAE Air Force, a deal signed with the International Golden Group, based here, in early 2011.
■ Supply of a "very significant number" of Bonus 155mm, 52-caliber anti-tank artillery rounds for an undisclosed Middle East country, signed toward the end of 2010.
Nexter has sold its Caesar truck-mounted artillery to Saudi Arabia and Thailand, as well as the French Army.
■ A deal with the International Golden Group to supply the Azur up-armor kit for the UAE Army's Leclerc battle tank. The kit includes extra protection for combat in urban zones.
Nexter executives are looking to that recent sale of Bonus rounds to provide a sales platform for the UAE Army.
As part of its renewed sales effort in the region, Nexter signed Feb. 21 an agreement with the Burkan industrial group, based here, aimed at transferring to its local partner production of tens of thousands of the 120mm shell for the Leclerc tank fleet.
Burkan is a joint venture of German company Rheinmetall, the state-owned Mubadala holding group and the Al Jaber company.
Nexter also signed Feb. 21 a memorandum of understanding with Al Taif Technical Services for its local partner to provide maintenance for the UAE's Leclerc tanks and armored recovery vehicles. Al Taif is part of Mubadala.
Nexter is pitching its Véhicule Blindé Combat d'Infantrie (VBCI) in the UAE's competition for a fleet of armored personnel carriers estimated at 600, which includes a number of fighting vehicles.
A transfer of technology that allows local munitions production and a higher level of local tank and armored vehicle maintenance are intended to meet the UAE's drive to develop its defense industrial base, Nexter executive Bruno Burgon said.
Nexter is keen to be retained in any future modernization of the Leclerc, which was designed as a complete system. It fears third-party work might reduce the internal cohesion.
The signing of the "gentlemen's agreement" on local munitions production opens the way for talks to begin in April on work shares. The first batch of shells to be locally produced would be practice rounds before moving on to making combat munitions, which are expected to include new-generation high explosive and armor-piercing shells.
Nexter is also hoping to sell its Narwhal 20mm naval gun to the UAE Navy for mounting on fast patrol boats and the Baynunah missile corvette built by the Abu Dhabi-owned CMN shipyard in Cherbourg, northern France.
Nexter has signed up to the UAE's new offset agreement, which underpins the government's bid to strengthen its industrial base.
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