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Abu Dhabi / WAM
Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on Monday officially inaugurated Al Hili, the sixth and the latest Baynunah-class corvette built by Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) for the UAE Navy, in a ceremony held at NAVDEX, the naval defence and maritime security section of the tri-service International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) 2017.
After he commissioned the new 72m-long corvette into service by raising the UAE flag on the deck, he toured the command-and-control unit and discussed the vessle’s advanced combat capabilities with Navy officers.
“Al Hili corvette was produced
by bright national minds and strong arms. It is a 100 percent natio-
nal product and is another proof that we have long been masters of the sea. Shipbuilding was the craft of our ancestors that will always be an immortalised heritage and a source of pride for successive generations,†he said.
He also congratulated the UAE Armed Forces and the Navy on taking delivery of the new pieces for the fleet, which would help protecting the UAE’s sovereignty over its territorial waters.
“Godspeed. Be strong believers in Allah, trust your capabilities and skills, and preserve your weapons and your country’s gains,†HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said.
Baynunah corvettes are a unique class of warship with multi-mission capabilities, including coastal patrol and surveillance, mine detection and avoidance, helicopter operations, and anti-air and anti-surface capabilities. Baynunah utilises the latest in weapons and sensor technology and has an advanced firepower, said Khaled Al Mazrouei, CEO of ADSB.
ADSB has built 268 ships for the navies of the UAE, other members of the Gulf Co-operation Council, India and African countries, he noted.
Inaugurated in 1996, ADSB initially focused on naval repairs and refits and gradually expanded its expertise to include building sophisticated war ships.
IGG, Milrem to
develop unmanned ground vehicles
Abu Dhabi / WAM
Abu Dhabi-based supplier of high-end defence and security solutions International Golden Group (IGG) on Monday announced its cooperation with Milrem, the Estonian defence solutions provider, to develop and arm unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), with Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS, the largest Turkish defence electronics company.
The vehicle is the first of its kind in the UAE, and is set to meet the tactical requirements on the battlefield and to increase the combat capability while minimising the damage and operational needs, said Khalifa Al Balushi, Chief Executive Officer of International Golden Group and Chief Executive Officer of IGG Aselsan Integrated Systems, in a press release. The prototype of this vehicle is currently being showcased at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, IDEX 2017, under the umbrella of IGG, where visitors can test and interact with the product through the remote control unit.