BAE Systems has signed an agreement to supply a variety of defence hardware and services to Bahrain, including advising the country on establishing an air force pilot training academy.
The agreement, signed at last month's Farnborough show, follows an extension to a 10-year-old, inter-governmental Memorandum of Understanding in defence co-operation. BAE says it is bound by a confidentiality agreement not to reveal further details of the deal.
However, industry sources confirm that co-operation on the air training academy project is part of the deal, along with the supply of £1 million ($1.5 million) worth of land-based artillery detection equipment. It is understood that aircraft sales are not included.
Bahrain wants BAE's assistance to create a national flying training academy based around the Hawk advanced trainer (Flight International, 1-7 December 1999). The Gulf state conducts its training overseas but wants its own capability to instruct pilots from ab initio through to lead-in fighter training. Turboprop basic trainers could be procured in a second phase.
Source: Flight International
