Saudi Air Defense Show

Saudi procurements in the spotlight

Saudi Arabia is in the spotlight for this week’s newsletter, after it hosted the third biennial World Defense Show (WDS) near Riyadh from 8-12 February.

Despite it overlapping with the end of the Singapore air show, this year’s WDS was the biggest yet, with additional hall space attracting exhibitors from around the globe. That included strong attendance from leading US and European companies, along with other nations including China, Russia and Turkey.

Our coverage from the event focused on the Royal Saudi Air Force’s (RSAF’s) current equipment and procurement opportunities, which include potential future buys in the fighter and transport aircraft sectors.

F-15 WDS - Source: Craig Hoyle/FlightGlobal

F-15: a vision of Saudi air power

With the status of a planned competition between the Eurofighter Typhoon and rival proposals involving the Boeing F-15EX and Dassault Aviation Rafale unclear, Lockheed Martin promoted its F-35A – a type surprisingly thrown into the mix by US President Donald Trump last November – in full-scale replica guise. Turkish Aerospace also had a model of its in-development Kaan on show with a Saudi flag adorning its twin tails.

Nonetheless, BAE Systems officials remain upbeat about the prospects of at last sealing a 54-aircraft Typhoon order, as Riyadh also retains an interest in the Global Combat Air Programme between Italy, Japan and the UK.

Boeing, meanwhile, revealed that it also is in conversation with the RSAF around a potential new upgrade programme to further enhance the capabilities of its roughly 150-strong fleet of in-service F-15SA/SRs. 

Airbus Defence & Space, for its part, is confident that a planned performance boost will raise the A400M’s maximum payload from 37t to 40t, and that this will prove pivotal in a future sale of the tactical transport to the RSAF. 

Days after the show wound up, Leonardo announced that Riyadh will obtain four C-27J Spartans equipped for maritime patrol work. 

Away from the show, our recent coverage also looks at Lockheed’s choice of the Robinson R66 as its candidate to meet the US Army’s Flight School Next training need. Saab has revealed a plan to fly an unmanned demonstrator in 2027 in support of Sweden’s future combat air studies; and Israel has contracted Elbit Systems to provide unique equipment for its air force’s on-order Sikorsky CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters.

To keep up with all our coverage, go to FlightGlobal’s dedicated defence landing page.