ABU DHABI – Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, on his first tour of the Middle East in that role, swung through the United Arab Emirates where one of the world’s largest military trade shows is being held.
Mattis also is flying to Baghdad and had planned on touching down in Afghanistan during the trip, but he was kept from flying to Kabul because of weather, according to a Pentagon release. Speaking to reporters at the show, Mattis applauded the United Arab Emirates for being a long-term and steadfast United States ally in the region.
“Here in United Arab Emirates I met with his royal highness the crown prince,” he said. “This is a country that’s been a long-time partner in the region, very long time, going back decades, and we again had very good discussion – I’m in listening mode — out here, that we’ve got our hands around the stability aspects, and what’s going well and what’s not going so well here in the region.”
Mattis showed up on the first day of the International Defense Expo (IDEX), an enormous display of military hardware and equipment. On day two, the UAE announced that contracts worth $1.8 billion had been inked for an array of products ranging from tanks to missiles and training simulators. By day three the UAE armed forces alone had let contracts worth a cumulative $4.2 billion, according to conference organizers.
On display at the show is a dizzying array of vehicles, aircraft and weapons. The U.S. military’s two main near-peer competitors – China and Russia – both had a heavy presence at the show. Both Russia and China brought and displayed full-size main battle tanks.
U.S. defense contractors are well represented at IDEX, where they perceive a strong defense market in the region. Rockwell Collins [COL], for example, has based personnel in Abu Dhabi to work directly with the UAE military. The company also has established an internship program with Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi.
“You can’t do this kind of stuff from Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” where Rockwell is based, said Colin Mahoney, senior vice president for international and service solutions.
In Rockwell’s internship program, which is now in its third year, interns work for a period alongside company employees.
“Even though we’ve been present in this region for almost a quarter of a century, we continue to develop the valuable relationships we have with local entities such as Khalifa University,” said Talel Kamel, managing director for the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa at Rockwell Collins. “We are proud of this collaboration that enables us to share our knowledge and expertise in domains such as avionics and communication with the students, while at the same time establishing a talent incubator to support our further developments in the region.”
Mattis did not stay on the ground long in Abu Dhabi. His comments and questions asked of him focused primarily on the wars in which U.S. troops are currently involved. He spoke with both the Afghan president and Gen. John Nicholson, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan. He also will arrive in Baghdad after commencement of the Iraqi army’s renewed Mosul offensive. U.S. special forces troops are supporting the effort to root out remaining Islamic State fighters from the city. The Iraqis also are fighting under air power supplied by the U.S.-led international counter-ISIS coalition. Mattis said his trip to Iraq was aimed at “getting current” on the situation on the ground there.