Bahrain’s ruler, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, this week inaugurated the newly introduced Bell AH1-Z Cobra attack helicopters into the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) as part of the Bahrain Shield project.
The head of Airbus Helicopters reaffirmed at WDS that Saudi Arabia remains a key market for the European OEM, with a strong military presence and a growing civil market.
A long-standing Royal Saudi Air Force fighter requirement is now being contested by the Dassault Rafale, the Boeing F-15EX, and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Combat air is increasingly provided by a mix of traditional manned fast jets and uncrewed platforms, and Middle Eastern air forces are starting to acquire more versatile and capable UAVs and UCAVs.
Saudi Arabia’s ability to assemble complex combat air platforms was demonstrated at WSD by the delivery of the last of 22 locally assembled BAE Systems Hawk Mk.165S.
Saudi Arabia’s economic power and geopolitical influence makes it a “core country” for Airbus Defence and Space, in the view of its chief executive, Michael Schoellhorn.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment (MISA), the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) and global industrial giant Leonardo have signed an MoU.
Flying displays and an active presence at a show like WDS is a key part of opening partnerships and developing trust between nations, a major player at the event said.
Six months after the announcement, in July last year, that Saudi Arabia was set to acquire the Baykar Bayraktar Akinci unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), one of the prototypes is on display at WDS.
