Non-Subscriber Extract
UAE's Baynunahs prepare to take RAM on board
By Richard Scott
31 October 2006
Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) and Raytheon Missile Systems are close to signing a contract that will bring the Mk 31 Mod 1 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) inner-layer missile system aboard the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Naval Forces' new Baynunah corvettes.
In a back-to-back deal, ADSB will concurrently sign a contract amendment with French shipbuilder Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie (CMN) for the design modification necessary to accommodate RAM on the 72 m ships.
Six Baynunah vessels have been ordered by the UAE General Headquarters, with ADSB as prime contractor for the AED3 billion (USD817 million) programme.
The UAE has already selected Raytheon's RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) to equip the Baynunah ships and a contract for the supply of ESSM all-up-rounds was recently concluded under the US Foreign Military Sales process.
Consideration had been given to fitting a second Selex Sistemi Integrati NA-25XM tracker on the hangar roof in order to provide a second channel of fire for ESSM. However, at the start of 2006 the UAE Naval Forces looked instead to add the latest RAM Block 1 system to provide an additional layer of self-defence.