Airbus has received an order from Saudi Arabia for four additional A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft. According to Jean-Brice Dumont, head of air power at Airbus Defence and Space, the new contract is the third the country has awarded on A330 MRTT units for the Royal Saudi Arabia Air Force, which is now set...
Tag: Middle East
US Army Corps of Engineers Seeks Facility Maintenance Services for Kuwait Military Sites
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is soliciting proposals for the maintenance of multiple military installations across Kuwait. In a request for proposals posted on SAM .gov, the USACE Transatlantic Middle East District said an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order will be awarded for the required services. The effort is divided into three requirements: general locations, Patriot...
KBR Secures Contract to Support Iraq Megaprojects; Jay Ibrahim Quoted
KBR will work with the Iraqi government on sustainable infrastructure development in the region. On Tuesday, the Houston-based company announced that it secured a contract valued at $46 million to provide differentiated advisory and consultancy, feasibility studies, technical reviews, project management, and economic planning and strategy development support to Iraq’s Ministry of Planning. The contract...
GE Aerospace Unveils Istanbul Tech Center to Support Global, Regional Customers
GE Aerospace has unveiled a Turkey Technology Center in İstanbul to support its global and regional customers. The company said the new campus in Kartal district will house 400 skilled technicians, enhancing its engineering, innovation, research and manufacturing capabilities in Turkey and helping advance the West Asian country’s defense programs. GE Aerospace established a TTC...
Royal Navy Warship HMS Duncan Sails to the Red Sea to Protect Shipping Routes
The United Kingdom has deployed HMS Duncan, a Type 45 air defense destroyer, to patrol the Red Sea. The Royal Navy warship and its 200-person crew departed from Portsmouth on Monday and sailed toward the Middle East to protect vital trade routes from Houthi attacks. It will replace HMS Diamond, which has been stationed in the Red...
US Clears Possible $250M Sale of Blanket Order Training to Saudi Arabia
The United States has approved a proposed $250 million sale of blanket order training to Saudi Arabia. Under the potential foreign military sale cleared by the Department of State, the kingdom seeks to procure the required services for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces. The deal, which will be added to an earlier case, also involves...
Microsoft Invests $1.5B in Emirati Tech Company G42 to Accelerate AI Innovation in the Middle East
Microsoft is partnering with an Emirati company to develop artificial intelligence for various applications. The Redmond, Washington-based company said it will invest $1.5 billion in g42, an AI company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft, is joining G42’s board of directors as part of the deal....
Italian Navy Replaces US as Head of International Red Sea Task Force
The Italian Navy has assumed command of Combined Task Force 153, taking over from the U.S. Navy. Italy’s Capt. Roberto Messina formally replaced his American counterpart, Capt. David Cole, during a change of command ceremony at the Combined Maritime Forces headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, on Wednesday. In his address at the event, Messina said he...
Australian Counter-Drone Tech Firm Plans Expansion in the Middle East
An Australian company manufacturing counter-drone technology is aiming to expand its presence in the Middle East. Oleg Vornik, CEO of DroneShield, told Breaking Defense that the company currently has contracts with government agencies from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait. He added that the company will set up offices and manufacturing in the region once it...
MD Helicopters Secures 12-Aircraft Middle East Contract
Mesa, Arizona-based MD Helicopters has signed a contract with an unnamed Middle East buyer of six advanced Cayuse Warrior Plus Attack/Scout aircraft with precision weapons capability. According to the MD website, the Cayuse Warrior Plus aircraft is based on the Cayuse Warrior with laser-guided technology. Besides the precision weapons system, the Plus variant comes with updated...