UAE to build $73mn munitions plant

The UAE is to build its first munitions factory in Abu Dhabi, to serve armed forces across the region.

The $73 million Al Burkan Munitions Factory will be established by a joint venture between Tawazun Holding, an investment company established by the Offset Program Bureau (OPB), Al Jaber Trading Establishment, part of the Al Jaber Group, and Rheinmetall Munitions Systems.

Located on a dedicated area at the Zayed Military City in Abu Dhabi, the facility will manufacture, load, test and assemble various types of ordnance, including aircraft bombs, artillery, naval rounds and small arms ammunitions.

The factory will start production of aircraft bombs in mid 2009 and land & navy forces ammunitions in early 2010. Full capacity production is expected in three years.

It will also encompass an integrated demilitarization plant for environment-friendly explosive and ammunitions disposal, using the latest technology of thermal disposal.
It is envisioned that the plant will also offer ammunitions refurbishment, R&D, and training services.

Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri, director of the offset ventures unit at the OPB, said “The project will provide reliable, sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions in ammunitions manufacturing and safe disposal, not only to the UAE, but also to the region at large.”

"Ammunition is a consumable product. It is used for training and warfare purposes and needs to be replaced, replenished, and disposed of over the lifecycle of weapons systems. This is why this project is vital to the UAE and other countries of the region” he added.

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What about this project
Posted by Shautt on Monday 10 March 2008 at 09:04 UAE time

No more details have been made available about this project after publishing this article. Is this project still in progress?

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