Qatar in $23bn arms order including Apache and NH90 helicopters

Qatar has added to its defence spending with the agreement to buy herlicopters from Boeing and the joint venture NH Industries as well as missiles from Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

The total spend by Qatar on defence equipment this week is believed to have topped $23 billion. The announcements were made at the Dimdex conference in Doha.

Qatar ordered 24 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and three B737 Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft from Boeing.

Meanwhile, in Paris, the French defence ministry said Qatar would be buying 22 NH90 military helicopters from the Airbus led joint venture worth nearly $2.8bn.
Twelve of the aircraft would be transport helicopters and the other 10 would be the frigate version. NHIndustries is 62.5 percent owned by Airbus' Eurocopter helicopter unit, 32 percent owned by AgustaWestland, a unit of Italy Finmeccanica's and 5.5 percent by Stork Fokker.

Qatar is also buying the two MRTTs reported yesterday.

Qatar also committed to buy a Patriot missile defense system built by Raytheon equipped with PAC-3 missiles made by Lockheed; advanced daytime, high-definition sensors and radars for Apache helicopters; and Javelin missiles built by a Lockheed-Raytheon joint venture

There were no announcements regarding fighter aircraft.


Source: arabianaerospace.aero News – 1 April 2014

Photo: Qatar ordered 24 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters (Photo by Boeing)

(1.04.2014)