Adios Amigo
ADVISORS
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2009
- Messages
- 2,189
- Reaction score
- 1
Middle East splashes cash on US, European designs
The US Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) announced on 18 December 2009 that the Arab Republic of Egypt Navy had expanded its Ambassador III-class Fast Missile Craft (FMC) requirement from three vessels to four and increased the procurement budget to almost USD1.3 billion. Construction of the first of the 62 m craft had commenced, some three weeks earlier, at VT Halter Marine's facility in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Prior to the DSCA disclosure a requirement under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) scheme the costliest surface naval vessel acquisition programme under way in the Middle East was the USD1 billion Baynunah-class corvette procurement for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Naval Forces. On 15-16 January 2010 the first of what will eventually be a force of six 72 m Baynunah corvettes commenced sea trials from shipbuilder Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie's (CMN's) yard in Cherbourg, northern France.
However, both the Egyptian and Emirati programmes will be dwarfed when Saudi Arabia decides to order replacements for three classes of frigate, corvette and fast attack craft (FAC) dating from the early 1980s. A requirement for up to eight new ships is anticipated and, with the Franco-Italian FREMM frigate and one of the United States' Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) designs in the frame, the price tag could reach USD6 billion.
A common factor in all these procurements and a theme that runs throughout most of the Middle East's naval programmes is the reliance on US and European yards for vessel design and construction services. Although Iran has a state-run warship-building capability, the wider region has just three commercial naval constructors: Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) in the UAE, Israel Shipyards and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI).
282 of 3807 words
Copyright © IHS (Global) Limited, 2010
Middle East splashes cash on US, European designs
The US Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) announced on 18 December 2009 that the Arab Republic of Egypt Navy had expanded its Ambassador III-class Fast Missile Craft (FMC) requirement from three vessels to four and increased the procurement budget to almost USD1.3 billion. Construction of the first of the 62 m craft had commenced, some three weeks earlier, at VT Halter Marine's facility in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Prior to the DSCA disclosure a requirement under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) scheme the costliest surface naval vessel acquisition programme under way in the Middle East was the USD1 billion Baynunah-class corvette procurement for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Naval Forces. On 15-16 January 2010 the first of what will eventually be a force of six 72 m Baynunah corvettes commenced sea trials from shipbuilder Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie's (CMN's) yard in Cherbourg, northern France.
However, both the Egyptian and Emirati programmes will be dwarfed when Saudi Arabia decides to order replacements for three classes of frigate, corvette and fast attack craft (FAC) dating from the early 1980s. A requirement for up to eight new ships is anticipated and, with the Franco-Italian FREMM frigate and one of the United States' Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) designs in the frame, the price tag could reach USD6 billion.
A common factor in all these procurements and a theme that runs throughout most of the Middle East's naval programmes is the reliance on US and European yards for vessel design and construction services. Although Iran has a state-run warship-building capability, the wider region has just three commercial naval constructors: Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) in the UAE, Israel Shipyards and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI).
282 of 3807 words
Copyright © IHS (Global) Limited, 2010
Middle East splashes cash on US, European designs
