UAE-built Light Attack ‘Fighter’ to be Unveiled At Dubai Airshow

Calidus, an Abu Dhabi-based firm will unveil its new light attack aircraft with multirole capabilities on at the Dubai Airshow next week.

No details of the aircraft were released by its manufacturer who put out a teaser press release along with a sketch of what appears to be a turboprop with three underwing hardpoints.

A press release from its manufacturer, Calidus company said that the aircraft will raise the bar throughout the whole region through its leading-edge features.

Fully designed from the ground up to address modern warfare requirements in terms of capacity and operating costs, the aircraft is the first military ‘fighter’ ever developed in the UAE, the release said.

Calidus have already initiated early development stages of their production complex in Al Ain, the centre that is set to become the region’s hub for aerospace industry excellence.

The market for light attack aircraft in anti-terror operations is growing as countries find the cost of buying and maintaining figher jets prohibitive.