DUBAI /UAE/, November 20. /TASS/. The Pantsyr surface-to-air missile/gun systems, which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has purchased from Russia, are providing security at the Dubai Airshow-2019 international exhibition, Assistant to the UAE Deputy Defense Minister Major-General Abdullah Al Hashemi responsible for the event told TASS on Wednesday.

"Yes," Al Hashemi said, responding to the question about whether the Pantsyr air defense missile systems earlier purchased from Russia were used to provide protection for the air show.

The UAE Army is content with the Russian-made Pantsyr missile launchers, the general said.

"This is a good system both for the requirements it has been made and for the ranges, at which it operates. The Pantsyr is quite good," he added.

Russia delivered 50 Pantsyr-S systems in their export configuration and 1,000 missiles to the UAE in 2009-2013. The deal was worth $800 million.

Head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev said on Sunday that Russia and the UAE were discussing the upgrade of Pantsyr-S1 surface-to-air missile/gun systems operational in that Arab country.

The Pantsyr-S1 (NATO reporting name: SA-22 Greyhound) is a ground-based self-propelled surface-to-air missile/gun system designed to shield military and civilian facilities, including long-range air defense systems, from all modern and future air attack weapons.

The Pantsyr mounted on the truck chassis for greater mobility is armed with two 30mm guns, each of which is capable of firing up to 40 rounds per second, as well as 12 anti-aircraft missiles.

The Dubai Airshow 2019 runs in Dubai (the United Arab Emirates) on November 17-21. Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport acts as the organizer of the integrated Russian exposition on a total area of over 750 square meters.

Apart from the state hi-tech corporation Rostec and Rosoboronexport, eight leading Russian defense manufacturers will feature their armament and military hardware at the Dubai air show, including the United Aircraft Corporation, the Russian Helicopters rotorcraft producer, the United Engine-Making Corporation, the High-Precision Weapons Research and Production Association, the Almaz-Antey Group, the Shvabe Holding Company and other entities.