The UAE Ministry of Defense said it plans to buy 12 L-15 aircrafts from China, state news agency (WAM) reported on Wednesday.
The ministry will sign a contract with China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) to purchase the aircrafts, with the option of buying 36 more aircrafts in the future, according to WAM.
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Tareq Abdulraheem al-Hosani, chief executive officer of Tawazun Economic Council, said the deal comes within efforts to diversify armament resources and modernize the country’s air force and armed forces unit.
“We have reached the final stages in negotiations with the Chinese [company], and a final agreement will be sealed soon,” Hosani said, adding that such diversification seeks to equip the UAE’s armed forces with the “best capabilities” to achieve their strategic goals.
Earlier in February, the US State Department approved the potential sale of $30 million worth of spare and repair parts for its Homing All the Way Killer (HAWK) missile defense systems to the UAE.
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