Finmeccanica set to contribute to Qatar's naval programmes

At this year's DIMDEX naval exhibition in Doha, Finmeccanica will be demonstrating how it can offer its one company leadership in defence, security and aerospace to the nation of Qatar and the surrounding Gulf region

Rome  29 March 2016 11:30

  • Finmeccanica’s broad naval capabilities can be seen on the FREMM Frigate Carabiniere visiting Doha Port during Dimdex
  • Finmeccanica has a strong position in the Gulf’s commercial and military helicopter markets and sees significant future opportunities across the region  
  • The company recognizes the potential for securing civil infrastructures in the region, such as airports, ports, sports stadium and oil and gas platforms

At this year’s DIMDEX naval exhibition in Doha, Finmeccanica will be demonstrating how it can offer its one company leadership in defence, security and aerospace to the nation of Qatar and the surrounding Gulf region. Finmeccanica will welcome visitors to its stand having recently announced that it has chosen “Leonardo” as its new name.

The Gulf region is an important market for Finmeccanica’s growth strategy in the short to medium term. At the show, Finmeccanica will be building on a solid foundation of over 20 years partnering with Qatar, starting with the company providing Doha Airport with its air traffic control radars and control centre. Recently, the company provided all of the major systems for the New Doha Airport and in January Finmeccanica’s contract to provide Qatar’s armed forces with low-level radar systems for air surveillance and defence was initiated.

With the focus at DIMDEX on naval matters, Finmeccanica’s priority at the exhibition will be to promote its range of related capabilities which are increasingly being recognised in the Gulf region as the gold-standard for integrated naval security. Finmeccanica can provide turnkey Combat Management Systems for all classes of military vessels and is the main provider to the UAE Navy in this domain. Last year the company also signed a contract with the Royal Bahrain Naval Force to upgrade six naval vessels which are on-target for completion in less than 5 years’ time. Finmeccanica’s broad capability can be seen on the FREMM Frigate Carabiniere visiting Doha Port during DIMDEX.

In the Gulf region there are several upgrade programmes of interest to the company for corvettes, frigates and offshore patrol vessels and Finmeccanica will be looking to position its combat system for the new programmes that naval forces have launched for all sizes of ships.

For a number of years the Qatari Emiri Navy has secured the country’s waters with Finmeccanica’s 40L70 turrets and 76/62mm guns. Finmeccanica will be interested in providing further capabilities including the C310 anti-torpedo defence system, 76/62 gun mount and 30mm Marlin Weapon Station for the Qatari Emiri Navy’s corvettes and the HITFIST® 30mm two man turret / HITFIST® 30mm Overhead Weapon Station, both suitable for the Qatari Emiri Land Force’s future programmes.

For maritime surveillance requirements, Finmeccanica will also be offering a range of airborne ISTAR capabilities and the Falco tactical uncrewed air vehicle, already conducting successful operations elsewhere in the Middle East. With Qatar and other Gulf countries showing significant interest in the Eurofighter Typhoon, the company will also be supporting Typhoon campaign for the Qatari Emiri Air Force. Finmeccanica is a major contributor to the platform which includes leading the consortia that deliver the aircraft’s radar, IRST and defensive aids suite.

Finmeccanica is also marketing with the Qatari Emiri Air Force its latest generation advanced and lead-in fighter trainer M-346, which has been designed to provide the best possible balance between high training effectiveness and low life-cycle cost.

In addition, Finmeccanica has an established presence in regional helicopter markets, having delivered aircraft to the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. These cover both civil and military applications and include a range of different models including the AW109 series, AW139. AW169, AW189, the Super Lynx 300 and the NH90. A number of helicopter types are ideally suited for future requirements across the Gulf region, including the AW101, AW149, NH90, AW169 and the AW609 TiltRotor.

Qatar has ordered 21 new-generation AW139 for a number of military applications. In the commercial market, Gulf Helicopters operates a fleet of AW139s for offshore transport missions and has placed an order for 15 AW189s for the same application.

Finmeccanica is proud to have enhanced the safety and security of the region’s air traffic management. In the wider Gulf region, the company is supplying six fixed and transportable air traffic control systems to the Royal Saudi Air Force, a number of critical airport systems including network infrastructure and air traffic control for Kuwait City Airport and radar systems in Bahrain.

Finmeccanica also recognizes the potential for securing civil infrastructure in the region, such as airports, ports and oil and gas platforms. The company can provide a range of solutions from physical border protection up to complex integrated command and control systems for sports stadiums and their infrastructure, as well as integrated cyber security solutions based on its 25 years of experience in the domain.