Defense and Security

NGC wins SANG contract with potential value of US$550m

The U.S. Army has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a contract to continue the modernization and training of the Saudi Arabia National Guard (SANG). The contract has a potential value of US$550 million. The five-year, cost-plus-award-fee hybrid contract also contains fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price elements. Under the terms of the contract, Northrop Grumman subsidiary Vinnell Arabia LLC will provide U.S. Army-based doctrine and military training as well as logistics and support services that will further contribute to SANG fulfilling its national defense mission with self-sustained command, control and operational capabilities. Work will be performed throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia may buy over US$4bn worth of armaments from Russia

Saudi Arabia may buy over US$4 billion worth of Russian armaments and military hardware. The contracts are possible in the first half of 2010, a defense industry source said. "Technical and financial parameters of the majority of contracts have been coordinated and they are ready for signing. Some other contracts are being negotiated. The negotiations primarily concern prices," the source said. The deliveries will start with over 150 T-90S tanks, which have been successfully tested in the Arabian Desert. It is also planned to supply about 150 helicopters (30 Mil Mi-35 and up to 120 Mil Mi-17 of various modifications), up to 250 armored personnel carriers BMP-3, and several dozen Buk-M2E anti-aircraft missile systems. "The total value of the contracts nears US$2 billion," the source said. Saudi Arabia may become the first foreign buyer of Russia's new anti-aircraft missile system S-400 Triumph, which has been recently supplied to the Russian armed forces.

Morocco, Qatar sign military cooperation agreement

The agreement was signed by Morocco's Foreign minister Taïb Fassi Fihri and visiting Chief of Staff of the Qatar Armed Forces Major General (MG) Hamad bin Ali Al-Attiya, reported MAP news agency. The signing of the agreement will further consolidate cooperation between the two countries, said Fassi Fihri, adding that it is part of the exemplary relations and solid links between them. Hamad Bin Ali Al-Attiya, for his part, underlined that the agreement will help build a constructive cooperation between the two countries. He added that Morocco and Qatar are cooperating in a number of domains.

Boeing wins UAE deal for six military aircraft

US aerospace giant Boeing said it has won a contract from the United Arab Emirates for six C-17 military aircraft, making the UAE the second Middle East nation to order the airlifter. UAE will take delivery of four C-17s in 2011 and two in 2012 in the deal, whose "financial terms are not being disclosed," Boeing said in a statement. The C-17 can carry large combat equipment and troops or humanitarian aid across international distances to small "austere" airfields anywhere in the world, the company said. "The C-17 will give the UAE the ability to perform a variety of humanitarian and strategic lift operations around the world in support of both national and international missions," Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE major general staff pilot, said in the statement.