The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has canceled its $879 million deal with Airbus for 12 H225M Caracal multirole helicopters. The cancellation was confirmed by Muammar Abdulla Abushehab, defense and security industry affairs sector chief for the Tawazun council, in an exclusive interview with Breaking Defense.
Photo: Airbus
Abushehab stated that the UAE found it difficult to continue with the contract due to the high lifecycle cost, limitations in adapting to modular designs of future mission requirements, and the complex technical proposal. He clarified that the decision was not politically motivated, but was based on financial and technical reasons.
In addition, the failure to achieve in-country value goals was another factor in the decision to terminate the contract. Abushehab stated that the company lacked the serious motivation to respond to the demands of the UAE government in order to meet the pressing requirements.
The deal for the 12 H225M Caracal helicopters was ordered in December 2021, during the French president’s visit, for an estimated price of $879 million. The H225M is the military version of the H225 and can be mounted with different sets of weaponry, from machine guns to rockets to anti-ship missiles. The helicopter is in service with several air forces.
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