UAE Purchases Russian Anti-tank System

United Arab Emirates has inked a Dh 147 million ($40 million) contract with Russia for Kornet-E anti-tank missile systems during the ongoing International Defense Exhibition IDEX-2019 in Abu Dhabi.

"A contract has been signed with the Russian JSC KBP Instrument Design Bureau [defense industry] company to buy Kornet-E systems worth 146,92 million dirhams," Brig. Gen. Mohammed Al Hassani, a representative of the UAE armed forces was quoted by Sputnik as saying Sunday.

According to the organizers, during the first day of the exhibition, the UAE armed forces signed a number of contracts with local and foreign companies worth more than 4 billion dirhams in total.

Kornet-E is a shoulder fired anti-armour system effective against tanks, armoured personnel carriers, hovering helicopters and re-inforced fortifications and bunkers. It is effective against explosive reactive armour, designed to defeat anti-tank projectiles.

The Kornet-E could also be mounted atop light armored vehicles in a cluster of 4 providing effective firepower against enemy armour. It could seek and destroy enemy tanks before they could sight the Kornet-E.