THE United Arab Emirates (UAE) ended a multibillion-dollar deal to buy advanced military helicopters with France.
An official at the UAE Defense and Security Acquisitions Authority was saying ‘that the decision was not political but was based on financial and technical reasons’.
The contract was worth nearly €800 million.
The H225M is a long-range tactical transporter that enables military forces to deploy wherever and whenever needed.
The aircraft can operate both from ships and land—even in icy conditions – making it an all-weather helicopter.
The H225M excels in a full range of military missions such as Special operations; Combat search and rescue; Tactical transport; Casualty or medical evacuation, Public service missions such as Search and Rescue (SAR); Fire fighting; Coast Guard; and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) protection.
Supported by night vision Goggle compatibility, the aircraft was designed for high survivability and is equipped with high energy-absorbing landing gear, along with self-sealing and crash-worthy fuel tanks.
An Airbus spokesperson refused to comment about the actual contract but said the French aerospace giant has been serving the armed forces of the UAE for more than 40 years and is proud of the bilateral ties between France and the UAE.
