By Sangeeta Saxena
Cairo. 08 December 2023. With geopolitics having become more important than ever and the emerging fact that the Israel-Hamas war will not see an end without Egypt’s mediation efforts, the Egyptian Defence Expo 2023 saw the host as a power to enter a preventive buying spree to make air defences stronger.
“Al Tariq is an affordable, modular family of precision guided munitions intended for use with aerial bombs of the MK 81/82/83 series. It is a cutting-edge tactical solution that can operate in all weather conditions and at any time of day or night, giving the user a highly accurate, long-range solution,” is the missile major’s unique selling proposition.
At EDEX 2023 EDGE was overpowering with the large area it took to showcase it’s strength and capabilities. Al Tariq exhibits in the area were a major attraction both for the inquisitive visitor and the business attendee. But the most awaited were the military and government delegations, who were continuously visiting with major interest in the missile made in the Arab world for the world.
“Egypt is a very big and a potential market and a centre for North African countries. We expect a lot of business to come,” said Yousef Al Blooshi, Senior Manager, Business Development for Al Tariq. He added that Egypt has a big army and hence becomes a potential market and an important customer for Al Tariq.
AL TARIQ is a top producer of precision-guided air weapons with a track record in combat. It is a component of the weapons and missiles cluster, which aims to equip missile systems with the newest technological advancements. It’s production capacity has increased thanks to state-of-the-art technology and ongoing innovation.
“There is a lot of discussion happening with Egypt and we’re already working on some kind of collaboration with Egyptian Armed Forces. And yes a lot of business will be coming soon. There is a lot of inquiries from other Africans countries and countries apart from Middle East and Africa too. We are not targeting specific countries. Yes we are targeting the main clients, but look forward to an opportunity to collaborate with others also. There are some inquiries from the nations near Egypt in Africa but it is too pre-mature to talk about them presently. We hope they will progress, ” Blooshi explained.
Smaller, faster, and more intelligent combat-driven munitions are needed to meet the growing challenges of airborne defence. In order to satisfy these increasing demands, AL TARIQ offers a range of solutions, including supply chain, manufacturing, and design. It’s mission to transform air defence. AL TARIQ is a top producer of precision-guided air weapons with a track record in combat. ALTARIQ is a component of the weapons and missiles cluster, which aims to equip missile systems with the newest technological advancements. The production capacity has increased thanks to state-of-the-art technology and ongoing innovation.
Precision targeting is achieved using GNSS/INS, Imaging Infrared (IIR) with full Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) capabilities, and semi-active laser seekers against high-priority fixed, off-axis, moving, and relocatable targets. The kits are easy to handle and deploy.
“Our ability to use cutting-edge technologies gives us an advantage in weaponry, propulsion, and optics. This enables the creation of intellectual property by our engineering teams in a variety of fields, such as mechanical and software design. This puts you and us ahead at all times,” he reiterated.
Enhancing pilot safety, the fire-and-forget system provides an extended stand-off range and the seeker technologies deliver accuracy to within three metres of the target location, reducing collateral damage. The adaptable family of kit systems is the battle-tested AL TARIQ range. A variety of guidance and propulsion technologies are used to transform these unguided aerial weapons into focused, longer-range, high-precision weapons.
The AL TARIQ system can change with missions thanks to its modular design, flexible programming options, long standoff ranges of up to 120 km, and day-or-night, all-weather operational capabilities. By utilising semi-active laser (SAL) seekers or Imaging Infrared (IIR) technologies with Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) capabilities, these features further assist in achieving improved targeting accuracy, is the missile manufacturer’s assertion.
Egypt, Algeria, South Africa and Ethiopia have missiles in their inventory but are potential markets keeping volatility of the region in mind . Sudan, Nigeria, Morrocco, Mozambique and Kenya are also expectant markets. And some others could also spring the surprise and put forth a demand. Keeping the economies of these small African nations in mind a missile made in the region could be a better option than the Russian and US missiles which are already therein their inventories. And this is where Al Tariq can step in.
