GEC NEWS WIREAMMROC, a provider of military Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul, MRO, services in the region, today unveiled a model of its world-class Al Ain facility at the Dubai Airshow 2019. The special event took place at the EDGE pavilion in the presence of His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and Managing Director of EDGE and Chairman of AMMROC, and Tim Cahill, Senior Vice President of Lockheed Martin International.
Set to commence operations early next year, this state-of-the-art facility will be among the largest centres dedicated to military MRO in the world. The one-square-kilometre facility will be uniquely positioned on a plot of land that is directly connected airside to Al Ain International Airport, and offer innovative maintenance solutions, performance-based reliability, and full life cycle management, all from one central location.
Built to cater to future expansion, the centre will initially feature four multi-purpose hangars, over 30 back-shops and a climate-controlled paint facility. With a 36,500 sqm hangar space, the Al Ain complex features a dedicated Black Hawk nose-to-tail depot with LRUs that include blades and transmissions, engines, and aircraft subsystems.
The facility is also equipped with a dynamic whirl stand to support the rotary aircraft blades and transmission repair shop that is powered with advanced technology, making it a first-in-the-region. AMMROC’s offerings place it at the forefront of the aircraft aftermarket industry, enabling the UAE and other regional air forces to maintain operational readiness, airworthiness, and technical ownership of various rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft and platforms. AMMROC is also the only Lockheed Martin-approved C-130 Hercules service centre in the MENA region.
In addition to its MRO solutions, the company retains comprehensive capability to modify and weaponise platforms such as the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, one of the world’s most battle-tested air vehicles, into mission-ready, multi-role combat helicopters.
AMMROC is joint-venture by EDGE and Lockheed Martin, and is part of the Platforms and Systems cluster within EDGE, an advanced technology group for defence and beyond that was inaugurated in November 2019.
Says HE Faisal Al Bannai, “We are invested in the aerospace and aviation industry, and the AMMROC MRO facility in Al Ain as one of the world’s largest military MRO capacity, is testament to this commitment. This new facility will serve existing and new customers, representing the incremental demand created by the regional market.”
Abdul Hakeem Al Muflahi, CEO of AMMROC, says, “AMMROC leverages engineering excellence and innovation to provide a competitive benchmark in the industry. This facility will ensure compliance with the highest aerospace standards through offering maximum flexibility and capacity. We are confident that the new centre will strengthen our positioning as a fully integrated, industry-leading MRO solutions provider.”
Tim Cahill, Senior Vice President of Lockheed Martin International, adds: “Our partnership with the UAE has evolved over decades in strengthening the country’s security and prosperity through defence, advanced technology and knowledge transfer programmes. The MRO facility at Al Ain represents a significant milestone in our partnership, and we are delighted with the progress that has been achieved.”
Key takeaways
- AMMROC’s offerings place it at the forefront of the aircraft aftermarket industry, enabling the UAE and other regional air forces to maintain operational readiness, airworthiness, and technical ownership.
- With four multi-purpose hangars and over 30 engineering back shops, the new centre is the largest of its kind in the region.
- AMMROC’s facility will serve existing and new customers, representing the incremental demand created by the regional market.
