In an exclusive interview, Hamad Al Ameri, CEO of CARACAL, explained the company's operation, principles and products and plans for the future to Defensehere.com.
Al Ameri mentioned the company's standout and recently introduced CARACAL F GEN II semi-automatic pistol and CSA 338 semi-automatic sniper rifle.
In addition to these two products, he said that the product that has come to the fore and attracted the most attention in recent years is the CAR 816 AR.
Emphasizing that the CAR 816 AR ranks first among other well-known weapons in its line in all military tests, he also said that this product is a complete example of advanced R&D and production processes.
He also said that they want to expand their product portfolio with ligth machine guns with the CARACAL Light Machine Gun 556, which they introduced for the first time at IDEX 2023.
Technology transfers and localised manufacturing
Stating that they are open to technology transfers and domestic production, Al Ameri mentioned the ongoing technology transfers and domestic productions at different levels by giving a few examples.
- In early 2021, CARACAL signed an agreement with PINDAD to collaborate on the joint production of various weapons, including the CAR 816 for the Indonesian Special Operations Forces, using components such as the barrel from PINDAD.
- In January 2023, CARACAL signed an agreement with K-Tech to manufacture CARACAL firearms in South Korea.
- In India, CARACAL and ICOMM signed an MoU last year to develop a complete range of locally manufactured small arms for the Indian market, as well as for international export.
- In February 2023, CARACAL signed a cooperation agreement with ICOMM to transfer important small arms technology. This was a historic development for CARACAL as it was the first transfer of technology in defence articles from the United Arab Emirates to India.
When asked about the future plans of CARACAL Hamad Al Ameri said the following:
“The plans of CARACAL are two-fold. One, continue to adopt the latest manufacturing technologies, develop innovative intellectual property, and offer the best, tailored solution to our customers. Two, continue to take an inclusive approach to business models and establish a presence in Asian markets.
In line with EDGE’s strategy of building mutually beneficial partnerships supporting defence capability development in the UAE and abroad, CARACAL is working on teaming with various high-quality optical providers to offer tailored, smart solutions to armed forces on the continent.”
CARACAL
CARACAL, part of the EDGE Group, a missile and weapons cluster, was founded in 2007 as the first arms manufacturer produced in the United Arab Emirates. The factor that makes the company, which specializes in the design and production of small arms between 9-12.7 mm by hosting many types of weapons, stand out among its peers is its customer-oriented approach to weapon development and production and its strategic investments in the latest weapon technologies. In this way, the final product is according to the wishes and needs of the customers and provides a fluent use even in difficult situations.
📌In an exclusive interview, Hamad Al Ameri, CEO of CARACAL, an entity of @_edgegroup, explained the company's operation, principles and products and plans for the future to https://t.co/HJy8qoBwyl.
🔗https://t.co/ZWtzWLk4GA pic.twitter.com/EZIb0hIg5c— Defensehere (@defensehere_en) January 8, 2024
