PARIS — DST Defence Service Tracks (DST) arrived in Paris for the opening of the Eurosatory defense show June 13 with the ink hardly dry on a significant deal signed with the United Arab Emirates to undertake maintenance and repairs on the Gulf nation's fleet of M109 self propelled howitzers.

The German company, part of Krauss-Maffei Wegman's lineup since it acquired the business from Diehl a year ago, has just signed a three-year deal with the UAE, Christian Haun, the DST chief executive, confirmed at the show.

The deal is the continuation of a more than decade-long relationship between DST and the UAE on the M109, which started in 2004 with a powerpack upgrade.

Haun said the company had been appointed as the prime contractor on a program to repair, maintain and overhaul 85 of the US built howitzers. The work would be undertaken at an existing UAE facility.

The executive said the deal had been won in competition but declined to name the losers.

DST is perhaps best known as an armored vehicle track builder but it also has a sizable business maintaining and overhauling tracked and wheeled platforms. The work includes depot level maintenance for German and other NATO nations.

Andrew Chuter is the United Kingdom correspondent for Defense News.

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