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THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF AMERICAN BASES (CAAB) |
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THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF AMERICAN BASES (CAAB) |
The Air Warfare Center, which will be set up at the UAE's Al-Dhafra Airbase, will be owned and run by the Emirati government, said Major David Halla at Dubai's eighth air show.
"Obviously these would be coalition-type operations, where people have to speak the same language, but it is up to the Emiratis to invite other countries to the acadamy," said Halla, adding that the UAE's vision was to eventually open it up to other Gulf countries, Egypt and Jordan.
He said the United States, Britain and France would all take part in any joint air exercises taking place at the centre in the future.
Halla declined to provide any details on the cost of the centre or when it will be launched.
"This information is off-limits as per our agreement with our host (UAE)," said Gary Arasin, public affairs officer for the US military at the Dubai event, which he said was "the largest US participation ever at any air trade show."
Halla said the UAE air force pilots were "very good", adding that "the Jordanians are pretty strong as well."
He said the UAE's plans for the air training centre and its regional vision are not part of any "offensive initiative."
"They have a pretty defensive mindset, they are not threatening anyone," said Halla, adding, "you can draw your conclusions from that."
"They (Emiratis) are trying to be a world player and they are doing a good job at it."
He declined to say what the center's role might be in the future in a region plagued by increasing violence and insecurity in countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Halla, who is based at Dhafra and directly involved in setting up the training facility, is at the show coordinating flight displays by the pride of US fighter jets such as the F-117 Stealth, the F-14 and the latest F-16 variant, the Block 60.
In 2000, the UAE bought 80 F-16s, 25 of which are two seaters, at an estimated cost of about three billion dollars, according to Halla.
He said the first batch of the reconfigured F-16s will be delivered to the UAE in November 2005 and Emirati pilots have been training to fly the jets for the past two years in Arizona.
"A French guy I am working with at the centre told me that the UAE is getting the best airplanes," said Halla.
He said the special features of the Block 60 F-16s, dubbed the Desert Falcon by the Emiratis, includes a new engine with a thrust of 32,000 pounds (14,500 kilograms) as opposed to the 29,000-pound (13,150 kilogram) thrust on previous models.
The Falcon will also be equipped with an infrared "search and track system" and what Halla called an "integral French jamming system."
He said this ECM (electronic counter measure) would allow the jet to jam other radars and defeat missiles.
The United States is the prime defence supplier of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The six countries combined spent about 37.17 billion US dollars on defence in 2001, according to Jane's Sentinel Security Assessments newsletter.
A US Department of Defence delegation led by General Michael "Buzz" Moseley, vice chief of staff of the US Air Force, has come to the Dubai event, which opened Sunday and runs until December 11.
Moseley has already left the UAE, where he was awarded the country's highest military medal of honour by the federation's President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan.