Dubai Airshow 2019: UAE signs off on fighter upgrades, support

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has awarded contracts to upgrade the country’s fleets of Dassault Mirage 2000-9EAD and Lockheed Martin F-16E/F Desert Falcon aircraft, it was announced on 18 November.

A UAE Air Force and Air Defence (UAEAFAD) official announced that a contract valued at AED1.8 billion (USD489.5 million) had been agreed and signed with Dassault. Further details were not disclosed, with Dassault not responding to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Thales was also awarded a contract for maintenance and life-extension services on pods carried by the country’s Mirage 2000-9EAD fleet, valued at AED232.6 million. While the exact system was not disclosed, the country has operationally deployed the Thales Damocles targeting pod from the aircraft.

One of the UAE's Dassault Mirage 2000-9 aircraft on static display at the 2019 Dubai Air Show. The UAE is upgrading this fleet as well as its Lockheed Martin F-16E/F Desert Falcon aircraft. (Charles Forrester/IHS Markit)

The announcement of the intention to sign a contract with Dassault and Thales for the modernisation of the fleet was first announced in 2017, but further progress had not been apparent until now.

The UAEAFAD also announced that Lockheed Martin had been awarded a contract valued at AED76 million to install upgrades on the country’s fleet of F-16E/F Desert Falcons. Further details of this were also not disclosed.

Lockheed Martin was additionally awarded a contract for F-16 simulator systems valued at AED533.3 million on 21 November.