UAE Buys 2 French Surveillance Satellites

[Bubblegum Crisis]

For the safety of all the GCC.




Note : The satellite Helios II generation has an improved ‘resolution of 35 cm’ (Aviation Week & Space Technology, 23.Feb 2009, S.37).

UAE Buys 2 French Surveillance Satellites

Jul. 22, 2013 - 11:37AM
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates ordered two military surveillance satellites from France on Monday in a deal worth more than 700 million euros (US $913.2 million).

The Falcon Eye deal, signed in Abu Dhabi over competition from Lockheed Martin of the United States, includes the supply and launch of two high-resolution Helios surveillance satellites, a control station and training for 20 UAE engineers.

The two satellites will be built by Astrium, the space division of EADS, and Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between French Thales and Italian Finmeccanica.

They share in half the contract of “a little over 700 million euros,” according to Astrium’s chief executive officer, Francois Auque.

The deal comes with an annex agreement between the two governments stating that French military personnel will help their Emirati counterparts in interpreting images and sharing received intelligence, said a member of the team of French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.


DefenseNews

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

From now it will not happen anymore. ^^

Dazzling new weapons require new rules for war

By David Ignatius
Thursday, November 11, 2010

A new arsenal of drones and satellite-guided weapons is changing the nature of warfare. America and its NATO allies possess these high-tech weapons, but smaller countries want them, too. Here's an inside glimpse of how the process of technology transfer works:

A year ago, Saudi Arabia was fighting a nasty border war against the Houthi rebels across its frontier with Yemen. The Saudis began bombing Houthi targets inside Yemen on Nov. 5, 2009, but the airstrikes were inaccurate, and there were reports of civilian casualties.

The Saudis appealed to America for imagery from U.S. surveillance satellites in space, so they could target more precisely. Gen. David Petraeus, who was Centcom commander at the time, is said to have backed the Saudi request, but it was opposed by the State Department and others. They warned that intervening in this border conflict, even if only by providing targeting information, could violate the laws of war.

So the Saudis turned elsewhere for help - to France, which has its own reconnaissance satellites. The French, who were worried that imprecise Saudi bombing was creating too many civilian casualties in Yemen, agreed to help. The necessary details were arranged within days.

When French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Riyadh on Nov. 17, he was ready to open the new intelligence liaison channel. A Saudi official recalls that by the first night of Sarkozy's visit, detailed pictures of the Yemeni battle space began to move electronically to the Saudis.

Using this precise satellite intelligence, the Saudis were able to monitor the Houthis' hideouts, equipment dumps and training sites. Saudi warplanes then attacked with devastating effectiveness. Within a few weeks, the Houthis were requesting a truce, and by February this chapter of the border war was over.

For the Saudis, this was an important military success. "The French were extremely helpful" and their assistance "was a key reason we were able to force the Houthis to capitulate," says a Saudi official.


The Washington Post

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

I have no doubt, the UAE is a great friend and ally of ours, I even wouldn't be surprised if these satellites could have a conjoined unit and central command for monitoring.

For the safety of all the GCC.

From now it will not happen anymore. ^^

This article is quite inaccurate describing what had taken place. Anyway, we did have some problems with tracking the Hauthis, but the issue was resolved a few days later. Presently, we do possess 2 hi-tech statiles that's why most smuggling attempts are born dead. But tbqh, I can't compare them to the ones the UAE is going after. Hopefully, the UAE's will be technologically superiors to the ones we have.

 

[Al Bhatti]

Jul 23, 2013

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French defence minister, yesterday signed an agreement that includes the sale of two surveillance satellites, a ground station and training for local engineers.

France to deliver satellites worth Dh3.4bn to UAE

The UAE has ordered two surveillance satellites from France worth almost Dh3.4 billion.

The deal was signed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, the state news agency Wam said yesterday.

Two high-resolution Helios-type military observation satellites and a ground station will be delivered to the Armed Forces.

The satellites will be provided by Franco-Italian defence firm Thales Alenia Space and Astrium, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company.

Twenty engineers will be trained to use the new equipment, Agence France-Presse reported.

The agreement was signed in Abu Dhabi and was worth "a little over €700m [Dh3.39 billion]", said Astrium's chief executive, Francois Auque.

France and the UAE said the agreement was a sign of good cooperation between the two countries.

"The two sides reaffirmed that for more than four decades, the UAE and France have enjoyed a strong and effective bilateral relationship, underpinned by a long history in the areas of energy and defence," Wam said.

It added the deal was part of a "strategic partnership framework" agreed to by the President, Sheikh Khalifa, and French president Francois Hollande during a state visit to Abu Dhabi in January.

Sources from the French ministry of defence were quoted this week in the French daily newspaper Le Figaro saying this deal marked the first major defence export contract for France within the past five years.

"It marks the return of France in the [Arabian] Gulf," a source was quoted as saying. "It is a great satisfaction for France and for our defence industry."

France to deliver satellites worth Dh3.4bn to UAE - The National

-------------------

Around 20 Emirati engineers will also be trained as part of the package.

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

This article is quite inaccurate describing what had taken place. Anyway, we did have some problems with tracking the Hauthis, but the issue was resolved a few days later.
...

Unfortunately, it is only strict truth.

No country of GCC (or Arabs) never had such a very high capacity of surveillance satellite.

We have always had this major serious problem (Lebanese Civil War, Iran–Iraq War, Gulf War 1991, Bosnian Genocide War, Iraq War, 2006 Lebanon War, Houthi rebellion, Al-Qaeda logistical bases, Libyan civil war and now Syrian Civil War).

There was until now that surveillance satellites ‘DubaiSat-1’, ‘DubaiSat-2’ (Resolution of 1 metre only) and more powerful, soon, DubaiSat-3 (2017).

DubaiSat-2










Helios 2 surveillance satellite (Resolution of 35 cm) has very high 3D relief capacity, especially, perfect for our high increase targeting use ‘cruise missile’ totally free (Storm Shadow / SCALP EG cruise missile or future SOM Cruise Missile) [guidance systems IBN (Image Based Navigation), TRN (Terrain Referenced Navigation)].

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-d...aasm-hammer-place-paveway-iv.html#post3977178

http://www.defence.pk/forums/arab-defence/73050-saudi-air-force-land-forces-navy-74.html#post3967809


Our ability targeting the military bases, logistical bases, central telecommunications, strategic infrastructures (Bridges, highways etc&#8230. Our spying capabilities for the organization of ‘special forces missions’.

We needed and it was an absolute necessity.

 

[Echo_419]

Is it already in space or to be launched
If no who is going to launch it

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

Is it already in space...

No ! But very soon.

... If no who is going to launch it

By ‘Ariane 5’.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

A high capacity of surveillance satellite ? Interesting.

Unfortunately, it is only strict truth.

No country of GCC (or Arabs) never had such a very high capacity of surveillance satellite.

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

A high capacity of surveillance satellite ? Interesting.

And yes !

We (GCC) were like blind.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

And yes !

We (GCC) were like blind.

Well, if that's what you're saying then yeah homie ^ ^ ....

 

[rockstarIN]

New entrants in the satellite industry forced the big technology powers to openup the tech. To its alleys.

 

[474474]

Will GPS work better in UAE now? Because it's pretty effed up, I have to depend on the car's outdated GPS since phones never work
Getting lost every time you have to go to Abu Dhabi with all the new roads and ****

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

New entrants in the satellite industry forced the big technology powers to openup the tech. To its alleys.

As if we (The big technology powers - the West -) them expected for only their crumbs. You dream. ^^

See old links:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/turkey...-between-turkey-saudi-arabia.html#post4316367

http://www.defence.pk/forums/turkey...etween-turkey-saudi-arabia-4.html#post4318920

http://www.defence.pk/forums/turkey...en-signed-arianespace-2015-a.html#post4533909

http://www.defence.pk/forums/turkey...technologies-news-updates-12.html#post3717176

http://www.defence.pk/forums/turkey...-technologies-news-updates-6.html#post3576513

http://www.defence.pk/forums/turkey...st-center-will-ready-october.html#post4527169

http://www.defence.pk/forums/turkey...st-center-will-ready-october.html#post4534550

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Will GPS work better in UAE now? Because it's pretty effed up, I have to depend on the car's outdated GPS since phones never work
Getting lost every time you have to go to Abu Dhabi with all the new roads and ****

It sure will work better bro.

 

[474474]

It sure will work better bro.

Ofc it will
GPS needs 6-7 satellites