Phoenix, Arizona: Boeing Co estimates it could sell between 40 and 50 V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aeroplanes it builds with Bell Helicopter to non-United States militaries in the next four years, half of which could be bought by Arab Gulf countries.

“We are talking to several customers in the Middle East,” David Palm, Business Development Manager, Vertical Lift at Boeing Defence, Space & Security (BDS) told reporters on a media visit to their Phoenix, Arizona offices on Friday.

Boeing will be pushing military sales at the Dubai Airshow in November. The company will have at least one of their US military-owned and operated V-22s on display at the show, Palm said as it tries to woo Middle East countries in procuring the multi-mission aeroplane.

The American commercial and defence aerospace giant is stepping up its focus on the Middle East where countries are expected to increase spending on military procurements.

A number of Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are participating in the US-led air strikes campaign against Daesh. Saudi Arabia is also leading a coalition that includes the UAE against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Bell-Boeing, the joint-venture building the plane, secured in July its first non-US sale to Japan which is buying 17 V-22s for around $3 billion (Dh11 billion) including engines, according to a May congressional notification by the US Pentagon’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

Boeing will also be pushing at the air show the Chinook CH-47, its tandem rotor heavy lift helicopter, the Apache AH-64 attack helicopter and the AH-6i, a new “street fighter size” helicopter, that is still under development.

Order

“There is great interest in the region,” John McGraw, a Boeing Defence sales and marketing executive for the Middle East, said.

Boeing has so far secured just the one order for 24 AH-6is, reportedly for the Saudi Arabian National Guard.

Boeing expects Middle East interest in the AH-6i to convert into sales when the first order starts rolling off the production floor and into operation in 2017. Recently, pilots from a Middle Eastern country’s military visited Boeing’s Phoenix facility to test-fly the AH-6i, McGraw said.

Boeing is also gauging orders for the Chinook and new model Apaches, the AH-64E. UAE Chinooks and Apaches will be on display at the November air show, according to Boeing executives, but the company won’t be bringing the AH-6i.

McGraw said “demand is strong” in the region for the Chinook and that there is potential for sales to Egypt despite the country recently looking to non-US countries for its latest military orders.

“Egypt’s fleet needs some attention,” he said.