Washington's refusal to let Jordan exploit its own uranium deposits to make nuclear fuel has held up nuclear cooperation talks and the two sides are a long way from any deal, sources close to the negotiations said Friday.

An accord on nuclear cooperation with the United States would help Jordan launch a civilian nuclear program and meet a target of generating 30 percent of its energy needs through nuclear power by 2030.

But the Jordanian sources said in the last year of talks Washington refused to allow Jordan to produce its own nuclear fuel, a right, which the close US ally insists it is entitled to as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

"Although there is increased understanding of our view, the gap remains wide, but we are in ongoing talks. We still have a long way ahead of us before reaching an accord," said one source familiar with the latest round of discussions last month.

Jordan has discovered promising deposits of uranium — an estimated 65,000 tons so far — that it hopes to mine commercially for domestic use and for export.

It has signed nuclear cooperation agreements with eight countries, including France, China and Russia, to develop a civilian nuclear program and reduce its reliance on oil imports that cost 20 percent of its gross domestic product.

But in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, King Abdallah said neighboring Israel — the only Middle East state believed to have built nuclear bombs — was exerting "underhand" pressure on countries not to sell nuclear technology to Jordan.

Another Jordanian source familiar with the issue said the talks had been making progress until the United Arab Emirates approved a nuclear cooperation accord with Washington last year, hailed by the US administration as a model for the region.

The deal contained commitments barring the Gulf Arab country from using American technology to develop a nuclear weapon. It pledges not to enrich uranium or reprocess used nuclear fuel, and is obliged to import all fuel for its nuclear reactors.

US negotiators are now insisting on similar guarantees by Jordan that would oblige it to buy reactor fuel from the international market as a safeguard against its potential diversion for military uses.

Under the terms of the proposed US accord, Jordan could mine the ore but could not convert it into fuel. The demands could also curb any future Jordanian plan to become a regional center for uranium enrichment, according to Jordanian officials.

They said this was unfair. "Why should we give up our rights? We are upholding all our rights and privileges under the NPT," the source said, quoting Jordanian officials' stance in the talks.

“…The security concerns can be addressed. Unlike the others, for us nuclear energy is crucial for our economic development," the source added.

The kingdom is already putting in place the infrastructure for its nuclear ambitions, aiming to construct its first power station by 2019. France's Areva signed a joint venture earlier this year to mine uranium in central Jordan under a 25-year concession, and in May Jordan shortlisted Areva, Canada's AECL and Russia's Atomstroyexport to compete to design the kingdom's first 1,000 megawatt nuclear power plant.

Officials say it may take three years to choose the contractor and a further four or five years to build the plant.

The ‘Yamamah’ range of aircraft are factory-built, certificated and warranted aircraft, built by SAJ from component sets supplied by Jabiru Pty Ltd of Australia. SAJ has signed an agency agreement with Jabiru Pty Ltd for the assembly and sale of the J160 and J430 aircraft in countries of the Middle East, North Africa, Gulf, and Caucasus regions.

SAJ plans on having a formal launching event for the Yamamah in the Autumn 0f 2005. SAJ has secured a LS/I Acceptance Certificate for both models from the Civil Aviation Authority in South Africa so as to facilitate the acceptance from the JCAA and enable the aircraft to be used for on-line hire and flight training. With the relaxation of Private Aviation regulations forecast for the Region, the demand for Yamamah and in turn flight training will increase exponentially.

The Ratel a six-wheel drive infantry combat vehicle (ICV). the power unit is a water -cooled, straight 6, turbocharged diesel engine which is coupled, via a drop down and main gearbox to the three differentials. the vehicle is an armour plate construction and reinforced to carry turrets. the hull is of an armour plate welded construction, which protects the crew against 7,62 mm ammunition fired from a distance of 30 m. The vehicle has a high performance under normal driving conditions. the suspension system and overall construction enables the vehicle to reliably transverse rugged terrain with minimum discomfort to the driver and the crew.

The Al Jawad armoured internal security vehicle ( ISV ), comprising of an armoured body and standard Ford F-450 chassis, offering automotive performance, payload and operational capabilities in excess of vehicles currently utilised in many internal security roles. Al Jawad offers high level of ballistic and fragmentation protection to the occupants as standard with higher protection levels available. Large doors enable quick deployment and large bullet-proof glazed areas offer wide fields of vision for the vehicle commander and crew.

The Jordanian government is taking steps to boost its domestic defense industry. In particular, a research and development center is achieving tangible results in building sophisticated technology for internal and border security, VIP protection, surveillance and emergency response.

While this equipment, in many cases, answers the needs of the Jordanian armed forces, the center, known as the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau, also is determined to expand its reach in the Middle East and North Africa, Col. Ghazi Khdairi, bureau deputy director general and director of scientific research, told National Defense.

An independent entity within the Jordanian armed forces that reports directly to the king, the bureau has its own laboratories, production and manufacturing facilities. KADDB was established by royal decree in 1999 to provide independent scientific and technical services to Jordan’s armed forces. In the process, the bureau also is assisting the Hashemite Kingdom in creating a sustainable industrial base.

After five years of operation, KADDB now has more than 30 development programs, said Khdairi. Most of the programs are carried out with the help of international partners and Jordanian companies.

“We are not an industrial country, and we bring in the necessary technology by identifying strategic international partners and work with them jointly to develop a product or a technology,” he said.

When it started out, the company’s focus was on converting and armoring existing trucks, land systems and tanks. While that has proven a mainstay for KADDB, it has started moving into building light aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. It also has begun efforts on soldier protection, such as helmets and body armor, Khadairi said. “So far, the work is being done in these areas to meet the requirements of the armed forces,” Khdairi said.

According to bureau documents, part of the strategic direction for this year is to design, develop and evaluate wheeled and tracked armored fighting vehicles. In the process, KADDB plans to establish a series of joint ventures.

Plans involve expanding KADDB’s expertise to communications, battlefield management and air defense systems. Aeronautics also is on the list, to include aircraft upgrades and systems integration. KADDB researchers specialize in software development, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, robotics and genomics.

The first priority is to meet military needs, said Khdairi. Business is balanced between the armed forces’ requests and the bureau’s push for its own technologies or concepts. One example of an idea generated by the bureau for the military is the Desert Iris Jeep. A multi-purpose vehicle, the Desert Iris was developed by Jordan Light Vehicle Manufacturing—a joint venture between KADDB and the United Kingdom’s Jankel Group—and SHP Motorsports, also a U.K. company.

The Desert Iris has a Toyota 2.8 liter engine, manual gearbox and four-wheel drive. With a large load area, the truck can carry four soldiers in combat gear. A variety of weapons can be mounted on the Desert Iris.

Jordanian forces used the vehicle during United Nations peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone. Now the vehicle is employed in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Libya, said Khdairi.

Technologies based on Jordanian military requirements have found markets outside the country, said Khdairi. Wheeled armored vehicles—basically commercial SUVs with extra armor—for counter-terrorism border and internal security “became successful nationally and internationally,” he noted. These vehicles currently are used by the United Nations, he said.

In February, a cooperative venture between Abu Dhabi-based Bin Jabr Group and KADDB, called Advanced Industries of Arabia, won a $41 million contract to supply the UAE armed forces with the so-called Nimr 4x4 high mobility tactical vehicle. The Nimr order calls for 500 vehicles in a mix of four variants. The first batch will be delivered this June. The vehicle has a custom-made cooling system, which allows troops to operate in extreme weather conditions. The Nimr will be manufactured at a KADDB plant in Jordan.

The bureau now is working extensively to upgrade and integrate systems for battle tanks and combat vehicles. In partnership with Raytheon, KADDB is upgrading the M60 A3 tank with an integrated fire control system.

The Phoenix program improves the tank’s shoot-on-the-move capabilities, lethality and survivability. The IFCS consists of a gunner’s primary sight system, a ballistic computer and an enhanced turret stabilization system. Part of the program is the replacement of the M60’s 105-mm rifled cannon with the Swiss RUAG land systems L 50 120-mm smoothbore compact tank gun.

The first M60 A3 tank battalion upgraded with the Raytheon system is operational. Another three battalions will follow by 2007.

The IFCS also is being installed in the Al Hussein hybrid tank, a former British Challenger 1 tank outfitted with the RUAG 120 mm smooth bore gun. Additionally, KADDB is planning to install a new auxiliary power unit on the Al Hussein tank. This APU also is proposed to the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense for the country’s Challenger 2 tanks, said a company official. The U.K. supplied Jordan with 400 Challenger 1 tanks as part of a government-to-government deal.

Another project, called Falcon, is aimed at the development of a highly survivable, reduced-silhouette turret capable of firing 105 mm guns and all types of NATO 120 mm smoothbore ammunition. The design of the Falcon turret places the crew below the turret ring. The reduced volume helps to diminish the vehicle’s profile.

In conjunction with Mechanology Design Bureau of South Africa, CLS Jordan and General Dynamics, KADDB is working on the Temsah tracked heavy infantry combat vehicle. It can operate alongside the most advanced battle tanks.

The Temsah is can be equipped with reactive armor and has a front-mounted engine to increase protection. It can carry a crew of two and up to 10 troops. The vehicle can be configured as a tracked ambulance, command post or a mortar/howitzer platform.

KADDB is collaborating on a series of projects with the Jordanian armed forces. Monjed P2 is a recovery vehicle based on the chassis of the decommissioned U.S. M60A1 tank. Monjed can be used for recovery and repair of tanks in the battlefield. The vehicle carries a range of repair equipment, including a crane, cutting material and air tools.

Another system, Armored Shield, provides protection for .50 cal. machine gun operators on the M113 and the URUTU armored personnel carriers. The project was initiated in response to an urgent requirement of the military in support of units deployed on U.N. operations. The 90-kilogram shield protects from all directions. Ballistic proof windows provide vision in different directions.

In partnership with the armed forces’ Royal Maintenance Corps, KADDB is able to supply new and refurbished armored fighting vehicles.

KADDB has been touted as the first company to develop military unmanned vehicles in the Arab world. The design and development bureau worked in 2001 with Jordan Aerospace Industries in a joint venture, called Jordan Advanced Remote Systems, to develop a series of tactical drones. “In this case, the need came from the military, and it is almost a given that they are going to use the UAVs,” said Khdairi.

The Falcon UAV is designed for surveillance missions. It performs real-time day and night reconnaissance, remote sensing, surveillance and target acquisition up to 50 kilometers. The Falcon has a two-stroke engine that burns a mixture of gas and oil. The UAV has an endurance of four hours but could be equipped with additional fuel tanks for more capacity.

The system’s ground control station is available in tabletop or shelter-mounted configurations.

The Silent Eye is a backpack portable UAV used for scouting missions, area and perimeter control, highway monitoring and surveillance. It is also suited for search-and-rescue mission support and convoy security.

The Silent Eye can be assembled and disassembled in less than 15 minutes, officials said. Advanced system autonomy enables hands-off operation of the system from takeoff through recovery.

The I-Wing is a mini UAV with a 1.25-meter wingspan, which can be carried by two people in a lightweight, waterproof case and is shoulder launched. The wings and tail of the I-Wing are stored in a folded position, but immediately unfold when rocket-launched. On reaching a 100-meter altitude, the hard propellant engine is ejected, and an electric motor is automatically started.

The Jordan Arrow is an aerial target system that is intended for both air-defense training and testing of weapon systems. The Arrow simulates a variety of air defense threats. The target is a recoverable UAV equipped with power plant, automatic flight control system, recovery parachute and modular multi-version mission payloads.

A sizeable part of KADDB’s income comes from government contracts. The company also funds internal research projects, or partners with other firms to share the costs and, if the products are sold, the revenues.

“The focus of the company will be based on the need of the region,” Khadairi noted. Strategic partnerships with U.S., British, South African, Jordanian and Emirati firms, among many, help the company survive and succeed in the region.

Cost-effective re-use of surplus-to-requirement Main Battle Tank Monjed is a converted recovery vehicle based on the chassis of the decommissioned American battle tank M60A1. The goal was to inexpensively produce a modern recovery vehicle to comply with modernization requirements of armored vehicles.

KADDB Collaborative Project Monjed is an innovative vehicle benefiting from excellent mobility and battle worthiness. It is operated by a crew of three and can carry an additional passenger

Monjed can be used both for recovery and repair of main battle tanks in the field. The vehicle carries a range of repair equipment, including a crane, cutting equipment and air tools. It also has stowage for spare parts and can carry a spare power pack or other major assemblies.

The hydraulically-driven main drum winch has a maximum single line pull of 400 KN ( 41 tons ) at 13 m/min.

Monjed has a multi-purpose blade, which can operate as an earth anchor. The blade withstands a double-revved main winch pull on the casualty of up to (80 tons).

The hydraulically-operated crane is capable of lifting up to (6 tons) power pack. The hydraulics are self contained and powered by the power take-off from the main engine as main system or by the APU as an auxiliary system, this means that the vehicle can change its own power Pack.

Monjed will tow vehicles of up to 60 tons in weight at speeds of up to 30 km/h. Stability is maintained when retarding its load and when towing at low speed.

Caliber: 105mm (also can fire special 72mm rockets)
Type: rocket
Overall length: 1200 mm (complete with 105mm launch container) or 900 mm (complete with 72mm launch container)
Weight: 3 kg unloaded, 10 kg loaded with 105mm rocket, 6kg loaded with 72mm rocket
Effective range: up to 200 m
Armour penetration: ERA + 650 mm RHA with 105mm PG-32V tandem HEAT rocket

The RPG-32 multipurpose grenade launcher was developed between 2005 and 2007 by Russian state-owned FGUP 'Bazalt' organization on request and under contract from Jordan. First RPG-32 'Hashim' grenade launchers will be delivered to Jordan from Russia in 2008, but it is planned that mass production of RPG-32 and its ammunition will be conducted in Jordan under license at the JRESCO factory. The RPG-32 is a modular weapon that inherited proven and successful solutions in design of the weapon and rockets from earlier Russian grenade launchers, and it can be used to successfully engage and destroy a wide variety of battlefield targets, from modern main battle tanks and armored personnel carriers to bunkers, military equipment and troops in defilade or in the open. This versatility is achieved by using as much as four types of ammunition in one weapon - two types of 105mm rockets and two types of smaller and lighter 72mm rockets. In each caliber, there's a HEAT rocket (with tandem warhead in 105mm caliber, optimized against ERA-equipped tanks) and a FAE / thermobaric rocket with enhanced fragmentation effect, optimized against lightly armored and soft targets.

The RPG-32 multipurpose grenade launcher consists of a short, reusable launcher tube with grips, firing controls and sight mount, detachable collimating sight and disposable ammunition containers, which are pre-loaded at the factory and attached to the rear end of the launcher before firing. Once rocket is fired , the empty container is detached from the launcher and discarded. There are four types of rockets available for RPG-32, all ballistically matched to the maximum range - two in 105mm caliber and two in 72mm caliber. All use solid-fuel rocket motors which burn out completely while rocket is still in the launcher, and all are stabilized in flight using switch-blade type folding fins at the rear.

The contract for the development of the AB17 Nimr (Tiger)was concluded in early 1999 by Russian automaker GAZ (Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod)with a consortium which included the Jordanian King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) and Bin Jabr Enterprises (through its Emirates Defense Technologies subsidiary).

EDT initially started the project as a joint Russian-United Arab Emirates venture, with the GAZ automobile plant from Nizhni Novgorod holding a 50-percent stake. Engineers from GAZ and the Industrial Computer Technologies engineering firm (a subsidiary of GAZ)designed the Nimr. The UAE provided financing to the tune of $60 million.

More

We dedicated our Design & Engineering Bureau to develop a state of the art training and tactical surveillance platforms to serve the great need of the regional and worldwide market.

The result is the Sama Aircraft Series with five different versions providing complete solutions for all civil and military training and surveillance needs.

More