U.S., UAE firms team for UAVs

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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Boeing of the United States and a UAE company will work together for the marketing and servicing of unmanned aerial vehicle systems in the Middle East.

The systems to be marketed and serviced by Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments Co. are Boeing's ScanEagle and Integrator UAVs.

"This agreement advances Boeing's strategy of partnering with best-in-industry companies such as ADASI," said Debbie Rub, a vice president and general manager in Boeing Military Aircraft. "We plan to continue investing and growing in the UAE and the broader Middle East region in order to support U.S. allies' enduring need for affordable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance solutions, such as ScanEagle and Integrator."

The teaming agreement expands a previous deal between ADASI and Insitu, the wholly owned Boeing subsidiary that makes the ScanEagle and Integrator. That collaboration allowed for support and sustainment of Insitu's unmanned ISR products and services.

One feature of the new agreement is ADASI's marketing and UAV training services.

The joint announcement was made at the International Defense Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi.

"Today's announcement is an important continuation of our strategy to build aerospace capabilities right here in the Middle East," said ADASI Chairman Homaid al-Shemmari. "Our homegrown expertise, coupled with Boeing's technical capabilities in unmanned aircraft systems, is a winning combination and one that we look forward to strengthening in the coming years."