The United Arab Emirates has formally reintroduced the Eurofighter EF2000 into its multi-role/strike aircraft competition, catching the previously two short-listed competitors, Lockheed Martin and Dassault, off guard.
The move comes after months of behind-the-scenes political activity and several visits by senior UAE defence officials to British Aerospace's Warton site in the north west of England. The UK and the UAE recently signed a defence co-operation agreement.
The UAEhas a long-standing requirement for up to 80 aircraft, to form an additional three air force squadrons. In the second half of 1996 it short-listed the Dassault Rafale and Lockheed Martin F-16, discounting offerings from Sukhoi, McDonnell Douglas and, apparently, British Aerospace
BAe had been offering to lease around a squadron's worth of Panavia Tornado GR1 interdictor strike aircraft, to be followed eventually by the EF2000.
Lockheed Martin, offering the Block 60 advanced derivative of the F-16, has long been considered the favourite for the competition.
Industry sources say that the US company was completely surprised by the UAE announcement.
According to Staff Colonel (Air) Obeid Al-Kitby, the three aircraft types will now be evaluated for the next two months. He suggests that a decision could follow within the subsequent three months, although industry sources consider it possible that the decision date will slip.
The UAE's primary requirement is for a deep-strike aircraft, armed with either a GEC-Marconi or Matra BAe Dynamics stand-off weapon, depending on which wins an in-country competition.
Given the nature of the aircraft's primary mission, the air force favours acquiring around 40 single- and 40 two-seat aircraft. The latter would be fully combat capable and be used for those missions where the workload was deemed to be too high for a single crew.
The US Government is understood to have cleared several weapons for release to the UAE as part of the F-16 Block 60 offer, the most significant of which is the Hughes AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile. Other technology-release issues may still need resolving with the USA, it is believed. As well as the AIM-120, the UAE air force is keen on the Matra BAe Dynamics advanced short-range air-to-air missile.
The McDonnell Douglas AGM-84 Harpoon is also understood to have received export approval, although the UAEcould compete the anti-ship missile requirement with rivals such as the Norwegian Penguin Mk3.
Source: Flight International
