By IPS Correspondents
ABU DHABI, Mar 19 2003 (IPS)

Huge investments in science and technology by the US defense industry have made it a leader in global defense industry and services and the US is ready to offer its expertise in this field based on requirements by countries, said Joseph P. Hollis, Director, Industry Affairs, Association of the United States Army.

Hollis, who is coordinating the US pavilion at the ongoing IDEX 2003 military exhibit being held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), told the Emirates News Agency, WAM, in an interview that the US defense industry is putting in more US dollars now than ever before into science and technology in order to develop an army that is "light, faster and more lethal".

Hollis stressed the importance of technology and cautioned that those countries that do not spend a large amount of their defense budget on developing new technologies will fall behind the US.

"The US, which is today the largest defense exporter in the world, is ready to offer its expertise to countries based on their requirements," he said.

Hollis said that the US firms participating at IDEX have received a very good response. "We are very pleased to be here. What we enjoyed the most was the recognition and thanks on the part of the UAE leadership regarding the participation of the US pavilion at the exhibition in the light of the problems currently facing the region. We really appreciate their gesture," he said.

General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister and Lt. Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, visited the pavilion and evinced a lot of interest in the products on display, Hollis said.

He said that some US firms had finalized contracts at IDEX and many more have had fruitful talks which could culminate in a number of deals at a later stage. Around 30 companies are exhibiting at the pavilion, while overall nearly 70 US firms are taking part in the defense exhibition.

Hollis maintained that the participation this year was bigger than at the previous IDEX, with five new companies exhibiting. The quality of the attendance at the exhibition was good resulting in a positive feedback for the companies, he said.

Hollis said that the Association of the United States Army is a non-profit association with 350 members, many of them prominent players in the global defense industry.

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