Rosoboronexport Says Project Of Russian-UAE Infantry Fighting Vehicle Frozen

Sumaira FH Published February 17, 2019 | 07:12 PM

ABU DHABI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2019) A project for a Russian-Emirati infantry fighting vehicle has been frozen since the United Arab Emirates (UAE) decided to develop the vehicle on its own, the director general of Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheev, said on Sunday at the IDEX-2019 arms exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

"We have put forward all the proposals, agreed on the prototype of this vehicle with Russian enterprises, but just last year the Emirati side decided to once again explore its capabilities with company Tawazun without Russian participants," Mikheev said in response to the relevant question from reporters.

He, however, noted that cooperation on the infantry fighting vehicle could still be continued.

"We perceive it as a normal situation. We are open to a dialogue both on a contractual basis and in the form of joint production, but nevertheless today this project is frozen," Mikheev stressed.

A memorandum on deliveries of Russian-made combat module equipped with a 57-milemeter gun on a chassis produced by the UAE Enigma was signed at IDEX-2015 in February 2015.

Later, a Russian defense industry source told Sputnik that Enigma had withdrawn from this project and had been replaced by another Emirati defense holding - Tawazun.