UAE cancels Caracal order
As reported by Scramble in the news article of 4 December 2021 the United Arab Emirates agreed with France to place a massive order for almost 100 new aircraft, 80 Rafales and 12 H225M Caracal twin-engined long-range tactical transport military helicopters.
However, now in May 2023, the UAE announced that they have terminated the contract for those twelve Caracals. According to Muammar Abdulla Abushehab, defense and security industry affairs sector chief, the contract was terminated because “we found it difficult to continue the contract due to the high lifecycle cost, the limitations in adapting to modular designs of future mission requirements, and the complex technical proposal”
Abushehab said the cancellation was not a political one, but based entirely on financial and technical reasons. “The company lacked the serious motivation to respond to our demands in order to meet the pressing requirements of the government. The failure to achieve in-country value goals was another factor in the decision to terminate the contract,” he said.
The United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) planned to use the H225Ms in the Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) and anti-ship role. Contract value was worth about EUR 800 million. It is not clear if the UAE is considering purchasing a different type of long range helicopter.
Photo: French H225M Caracal by Jan Kraak from Scramble archive (just illustrative)