• Military Logistics

  Singapore to get MRTTs from 2018

  11th March 2014

  The Singapore Air Force (SAF) is due to receive the first of six A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTTs) from 2018, Shephard has been informed. A …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin to support Saudi Apaches

  13th February 2014

  Lockheed Martin will maintain the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) systems onboard the Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF) Apaches, under a …

• Digital Battlespace

  AFCEA West 2014: LM reveals interoperable ISR strategy

  12th February 2014

  Lockheed Martin has described growing aspirations of customers for real-time ISR capabilities, especially in the Middle East. Speaking to Shephard at the AFCEA West exhibition …

• Land Warfare

  Defexpo 2014: Nexter teams to offer light CAESAR

  6th February 2014

  French defence manufacturer Nexter has teamed with Indian companies Larsen & Toubro and Ashok Leyland Defence to offer a new light variant of the CAESAR mounted …

• Land Warfare

  Syrian negotiations limited by military stalemate

  29th January 2014

  Expectations remain low of a fruitful outcome at the UN-sponsored international summit in Geneva, Switzerland that is aimed at ending the grinding three-year civil war …

• Defence Helicopter

  Libya interested in T129 helicopter

  10th January 2014

  Libyan interest in the T129 attack helicopter emerged during Prime Minister Ali Zeidan’s visit to Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) facilities in Turkey on 3 January.  …

• Land Warfare

  Saudi Arabia defence force selects MILO simulators

  18th December 2013

  Arotech's training and simulation division will supply its MILO Range simulators to the Saudi Arabian defence forces under a new contract announced on 18 December. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Saudi helicopter renewal gathers momentum

  5th December 2013

  Northrop Grumman has announced its industry team that will compete for the US Army’s Integrated Maintenance Support Services (IMSS) programme. The IMSS programme will help …

• Defence Notes

  Gulf defence spending rises

  20th November 2013

  Defence spending in the Gulf is rising steadily with companies increasingly focussing on the region as budgets shrink in domestic markets.  SIPRI has estimated that …

• Digital Battlespace

  Saudi Arabia requests C4I FMS from US government

  20th November 2013

  Saudi Arabia has requested C4I system upgrades and maintenance from the US government under a possible foreign military sale (FMS) announced to US congress by …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai 2013: Middle East offers opportunities for growth

  18th November 2013

  Strong purchasing power in the Middle East is driving companies to increase their footprint in the region as they  look to boost international sales in …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai 2013: Boeing finally receives AH-6i contract

  18th November 2013

  Boeing has secured a production contract for 24 AH-6i light attack helicopters understood to be for Saudi Arabia. Speaking at the Dubai Air Show, Boeing’s …

• Defence Helicopter

  Dubai 2013: MD plans second-generation 530F

  18th November 2013

  MD Helicopters is moving ahead with a major redesign of its MD530F armed helicopter as it targets further parapublic opportunities around the world. Speaking to …

• Defence Helicopter

  US confirms Israel to get six V-22s

  1st November 2013

  Israel is set to become the first foreign operator of the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, with Pentagon officials confirming the sale of six tiltrotors to the …

• Military Logistics

  Two C-130J Super Hercules on order for Saudi Arabia

  22nd October 2013

  The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will receive two of a potential 25 C-130J Super Hercules airlifters under a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) with the US …

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 ...