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The UAE Ministry of Defense intends to purchase 12 Chinese L15 aircraft

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ABU DHABI, 23 February / WAM / The Ministry of Defense announced that it intends to contract with the Chinese company CATIC to purchase 12 L15 aircraft, with an option to add 36 aircraft of the same model in the future.

His Excellency Tariq Abdul Rahim Al Hosani, CEO of the Tawazun Economic Council, said that this deal comes within the framework of the policy of diversifying sources of armament and the continuous modernization of formations and units of the Air Force and the Armed Forces in general.

Al Hosani said: We have reached the final stages of negotiations with the Chinese side, and a final agreement will be concluded soon. He stressed that diversity is one of the characteristics of the UAE armed forces to obtain the best capabilities that fit their needs and achieve their strategic goals.

He expressed his confidence in CATEC, which possesses advanced technology with competitive advantages at the global level.

The Tawazun Economic Council is currently managing the procurement and contracts of the armed forces and Abu Dhabi Police. The Tawazun Council will continue to work with its strategic partners to enhance the country’s defense capabilities and achieve strategic priorities in this field, as well as continuous development in the fields of advanced technology in a way that contributes to achieving the country’s vision of building a defense sector It is developed and serves future goals.

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L-15 is a twin-engine aircraft.. two turbofan engines with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) ..it seems an interesting option, given that the UAE advanced training aircraft (both Hawk and Aermacchi previously) are single-engine.. this might be for training the future Rafale pilots..

- Two engines that can reach a speed of Mach 1.2
- Fly by wire system
- Flight ceiling 52,000 feet
- Range 550 km

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The MoD and Tawazun statement did not state which version of the L-15 it was looking to acquire.. First introduced in 2006, a more recent version called the L-15B has a weapons payload of four tonnes, with the instructor's rear seat turned into a weapons systems officer's seat to manage guided weapons.. These will be equipped with special equipment, including an AESA radar.. The L-15B is equipped with an electronically scanned array radar, which has a range of more than 68 miles, making it a respectable foe for modern fourth-generation fighters..



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The UAE seems unwilling to reduce its cooperation and relations with China despite all the American pressures.. On the contrary, we see an increase in cooperation now and military deals..

Since the beginning is a training aircraft, then surely a fighter deal will follow to make this logical..

We may also see interest in artillery and rocket launchers.. And also, perhaps we will see the beginning of the opening of offices for Chinese arms companies in the UAE to be the gateway to exporting Chinese weapons in the region..

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