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Two Airbus A400M tactical airlifters were at WDS.
The 3rd World Defense Show took place at Riyadh’s International Convention and Exhibition Center between February 8-12. The 800,000 square meters of exhibition space hosted a record 1,486 exhibitors from 89 countries, alongside 513 official delegations from 121 countries attended by 137,000 visitors. Sixty military and defense deals were announced, reaching a total value of approximately SAR33bn ($8.8bn).Here are just a few of the highlights.
Airbus Reshapes A400M For Saudi Arabia
Airbus used WDS to relaunch its A400M tactical airlifter sales campaign in Saudi Arabia to meet the Kingdom’s requirement for around 30 aircraft.
During a briefing at the show, Airbus outlined how it is incorporating feedback from the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) to tune the aircraft’s performance to local requirements.
On the important industrialization level, Airbus and GAMI (General Authority for Military Industries) signed an MOU on a “joint roadmap to enable local manufacturing in the field of military industries”. While not connected specifically at this stage with an A400M commitment, the Airbus/GAMI deal helps put Airbus in a better position to win a major order and builds upon past collaboration between the two organizations.
After a demonstration tour to the region two years ago, and feedback from the RSAF, Airbus is installing several new features into the A400M hoping that it will be enough to stop the Kingdom from buying a large fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules.
Leonardo’s First C-27J Sale
Leonardo exhibited a C-27J demonstrator on the static display, seven months after Aramco acquired two examples for fire-fighting and multi-mission requirements in Saudi Arabia. It marks a first order for the type by a civil operator in these configurations and a first order in the Middle East too. Both aircraft are due to be delivered in 2027.
Leonardo will supply the two C-27J multi-mission and firefighter aircraft for cargo transport, firefighting, oil spill response, and medical evacuation operations in the desert Kingdom.
Mukamalah Aviation Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aramco, operating under the brand name “Aloula Aviation,” will operate the C-27Js and also act as service center for the type.
Super Mushshaks Upgrades
The PAC MFI-17 Super Mushshak was parked on the static display showing it fitted with new Dynon avionics displays, the same system being integrated into the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) examples.
Having been stored for several years at the Faisal Air Academy near Riyadh, the RSAF is returning half of its 20-strong fleet to service. The work to restore them to service is taking around four months as all the parts are now time-expired.
Two aircraft are then airfreighted to the aircraft manufacturing factory at PAC Kamra in Pakistan, where the new avionics are installed, a job that takes three months. They are then airfreighted back to Saudi, and the next two follow. The whole process of upgrading the RSAF aircraft will take up most of 2026.
According to a PAC Kamra source, the RSAF will use them for pilot screening again, and possibly primary training, just as they are in Pakistan. This will allow the RSAF to download some of the more expensive PC-21 training to the Super Mushshak.
Several countries in the region operate the Super Mushshak, including Qatar, which operates 12, while Oman has had five of its seven-strong fleet upgraded to date, with the other two on the PAC Kamra production line right now.
