• Land Warfare

  Saudi positions for Russian defence tech

  6th October 2017

  Saudi Arabia and Russia have signed a principal agreement that could lead to a significant arms deal between the two countries, potentially valued at $3 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Pacific 2017: Australia declares love for Romeo

  5th October 2017

  The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) received its 24th and final Sikorsky MH-60R last September, and the navy has so far operationally deployed five flights at …

• Training

  Kratos to support RSNF training

  7th September 2017

  Kratos Defense and Security Solutions has received a foreign military sales (FMS) indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract worth $46 million to provide training-related products and …

• Defence Helicopter

  US DoD inks Chinook deal with Saudi Arabia

  25th August 2017

  Boeing has been awarded a $223 million FMS contract for eight CH-47F Chinook, as part of a wider multiyear deal with Saudi Arabia, the US DoD has announced. …

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2017: Patria’s containerised mortar system demo'd

  6th September 2017

  Patria’s New Mortar (Nemo) Container has successfully completed its first test firings on a truck platform.  Announced on 1 September, the technology had been through …

• Defence Helicopter

  ​Helicopter OEMs defy pessimists

  15th August 2017

  In an environment of continued uncertainty in the oil and gas market, political instability and exchange rate fluctuations, four of the largest helicopter OEMs have …

• Defence Helicopter

  Analysis: Frantic year for military helicopter market

  10th August 2017

  While progress has continued across US military helicopter programmes, one platform that has garnered its share of headlines this side of 2017 has been the …

• Special Operations

  International interest spreads in C-130J-SOF variant

  15th August 2017

  Lockheed Martin’s proposed C-130J-SOF export variant will be tailored to different international operators’ requirements as interest in the type grows worldwide. According to Lockheed Martin, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Saudi Aramco acquires Teledyne Gavia AUV

  1st August 2017

  Saudi Aramco has acquired a Teledyne Gavia Offshore Surveyor autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to meet growing demand for hydrographic survey services, the company announced on 27 …

• Digital Battlespace

  France pursues AWACS cockpit upgrade

  21st July 2017

  The French air force is set to receive a new digital cockpit upgrade for its four-strong Boeing E-3F airborne warning and control system (AWACS) fleet, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  CH-5 ready for series production

  18th July 2017

  The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) flew its first serial production version of the CH-5 UAV on 14 July, the flight occurring in …

• Defence Helicopter

  Saudi Arabia’s helicopter inventory bolstered

  5th July 2017

  The skies above Saudi Arabia are soon to be filled with AH-6is and Black Hawks as deliveries begin from Boeing and Sikorsky as part of …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Guardian sale could signal US policy change

  29th June 2017

  The White House approved the sale of 22 non-weaponised MQ-9B Guardian UAVs to India on 21 June, perhaps signalling a policy shift in terms of …

• Land Warfare

  Saudi Arabia requests AN/TPQ-53(V) radars

  9th June 2017

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of AN/TPQ-53(V) radar systems and related support to the government of …

• Training

  Saudi Arabia seeks training FMS

  8th June 2017

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential blanket training foreign military sale to the government of Saudi Arabia, the Defense Security …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Transport

  C-130 Replacement [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Requirement The Royal Saudi Air Force operates 33 C-130H, 7 KC-130H aircraft and two KC-130Js. The country has been seeking to replace its older ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  VAB MK III [Saudi Arabia]

  Background As part of a $3 billion aid package provided by Saudi Arabia to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia ordered 100 VAB MK III 6x6 IFVs from ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2S [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Saudi Arabia was the first export customer for the M1A2 Abrams. 315 were delivered between 1993 and 1994 as part of a $1.5 billion ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Kozak 5 [Saudi Arabia]

  Background  In 2021, Ukrainian firm Pracktika announced that they had fulfilled an export contract to deliver 60 Kozak-5 armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia. The contract ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Patriot Upgrade [Greece]

  Background In September 2021, Saudi Arabia deployed a Greek battery near Riyadh under the Integrated Air Missile Defense Concept. The battery was used to intercept ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-90S [Saudi Arabia]

  Background.  It is possible that Saudi Arabia may have sought the T-90S to replace stocks of legacy equipment. In addition to its modern M1A2S tanks, Saudi Arabia ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Data links

  Data links | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  LAV 700 [Saudi Arabia]

  Background In 2014, the Saudi Arabian government signed a contract worth approximately C$15 billion (US$11 billion) to procure the LAV 700 8x8 platform from General ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-11 Raven [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Small UAS family In June 2012, AeroVironment confirmed that Saudi Arabia was among the customers that had acquired aircraft from its small UAS family, ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Seeker 400 [Saudi Arabia]

  Methodology PGO and programme status The PGO has been set to 100% due to the programme being completed. Units required Across a first-batch and second-batch ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | P-8 Poseidon [Saudi Arabia]

  Saudi Arabia is planning to procure new P-8 Poseidon aircraft to set up its maritime patrol squadron as a part of wider naval plans under ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Hazem

  Produced by SAMI Navantia, Hazem is a combat management system designed for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces. Based on the Cadiz CMS, it is integrated ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 2 (Block 8, 8A, 9, 10, 10C, 11, 11C, 15, 15C)

  Under the Typhoon Tranche 2 procurement,  the four European partner nations of Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the export customer Saudi Arabia took delivery ...

• Transport

  An-132

  The An-132 is a multipurpose transport aircraft based on the Soviet-era An-32. It is being jointly developed by Antonov and Saudi Arabia's Technology Development and ...

• Ship-launched torpedoes, Submarine-launched torpedoes

  F17

  The F17 is a wire-guided anti-surface ship torpedo developed for the French Navy and purchased by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The latest version is the F17 ...

• Air: helicopter radar, Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  Agrion

  The Agrion is a surveillance and missile targeting pulse radar manufactured by Thomson-CSF (now Thales). It is designed to work alongside the AS-15TT anti-ship missiles ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  THAAD missile

  THAAD missile is one of the most important components of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system. The THAAD missile starts to intercept incoming ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Shahine

  The Shahine radar is a key component of the Shahine self-propelled surface-to-air missile system, developed by Thomson-CSF (now Thales) for Saudi Arabia in the 1970s. ...

• Loitering munitions

  SKYWASP

  SKYWASP, developed by Vector Defence and SR2 Defence Systems, is a one-way attack drone modelled after the Iranian Shahed drone. The aircraft is in the ...

• Data links

  TTR

  Offered through Data Link Solutions (DLS) – Rockwell Collins' joint venture with BAE Systems – TacNet Tactical Radio (TTR) is claimed to be the smallest ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Silent Hunter

  Silent Hunter, also known as the low-altitude laser defence system (LASS), is a Chinese laser energy weapon believed to have been developed by the China Electronics ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Interceptor HSI32

  The Interceptor HSI32 was designed by French shipbuilder CMN to meet the needs of modern navies and coastguards. The vessel's primary missions are sea policing ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  Captas-1

  CAPTAS-1 is a low-frequency Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) developed by Thales. It is the smallest member of the CAPTAS family optimised for littoral and shallow water ...

• Loitering munitions

  Jaser

  The Jaser is an electronically powered loitering munition manufactured by Serb Advanced Industries. It is pneumatically launched and is equipped with both day and thermal imaging cameras. At ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  Cymbeline

  The Cymbeline is a phased-array, mortar-locating radar that detects the flight path of a mortar bomb at two points in its trajectory as it passes ...

• Naval: COMINT and ELINT systems

  ALTESSE

  Thales' Alert and Surface Ship Evaluation (ALTESSE) provides alerts on communication signals, tactical situation development and COMINT capabilities. Its wideband instantaneous bandwidth and processing capacities ...