Houbara Defence and Security, a joint venture between Middle East General Enterprises (MGE) and UK-based scientific and defence solutions provider QinetiQ, has opened its new assembly plant at Tawazun Industrial Park (TIP) in Dubai.

The new facility will used for the assembly of unmanned aerial and maritime target systems in military training, test and evaluation across the UAE.

The opening ceremony, held at TIP, was attended by senior UAE Armed Forces officials including Major General Staff Pilot Ishaq Saleh Al Balushi, Head of the Executive Directorate of Industries and Development of Defence Capabilities at the UAE Ministry of Defence besides other defence industry representatives.

Houbara's Chairman Saeed Ghanim said: "This new facility is part of Houbara’s strategy to build local capacity in the defence sector. It focuses upon creating technology systems that will be used for training and skills development for the UAE military, reflecting the goals set out by our leadership in Vision 2021."

Houbara, will combine proven expertise of QinetiQ to test, manufacture and distribute specialist unmanned targets, satisfying the increasing demand for operational training and mission rehearsal, he stated.

The initial product range includes the Jet Banshee aerial target designed to simulate the threat of aircraft for air defence systems and the Hammerhead maritime target, an unmanned speedboat designed to simulate fast inshore attack craft in a multi-vehicle swarm, he added.

CEO Tim Allen said: "We are delighted to open our new facility at TIP. It demonstrates Houbara’s commitment to customers and our collaborative approach through direct investment into the UAE’s defence industry."

"In addition to our locally-based resources, we offer unique access in the UAE to QinetiQ’s global resources of 6,000 dedicated professionals, providing technological and scientific expertise that helps our customers protect and optimise their defence and security capabilities," he added.-TradeArabia News Service