Several Roadblocks May Stand In The Way Of The Sale

The United Arab Emirates is reportedly negotiating with Textron to become an early customer for the company's new Scorpion jet, but there are several potential issues that could block the sale.

Defense News reports that U.S. officials indicate that discussions between Emirate officials and Textron's CEO have been underway for some time. The official said that the UAE is considering the airplane for its Al Fursan aerobatic demonstration team, which currently flies the Alenia Aermacchi MB-399.

Textron AirLand designed the plane to be an ISR aircraft, not an aerobatic show plane. But the source told Defense News that the sale could open up other opportunities between the Textron and the Emirates Air Force.

Among the potential problems are Emirates' unwillingness to be a launch customer for any airplane, and UAE has said it wants Textron to find another customer before making a commitment to the Scorpion. In addition, further analysis needs to be done on how the Scorpion would fit in with training requirements for the Emirati military.

Neither side would comment officially. The source told Defense News that any announcement could be as much as a year and a half away.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.textron.com