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Saudi Arabia wants to join Tempest 6 generation fighter project

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02 MARCH 2023

Saudi Arabia to join UK Future Combat Air System programme​

by Gareth Jennings

Saudi Arabia signed a declaration of intent (DOI) to join the United Kingdom's Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme.

Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman announced the DOI was signed with his UK counterpart, Ben Wallace, on 1 March during a meeting in Riyadh on wider defence co-operation between the two countries.

“We signed a declaration of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's [KSA's] intent to participate in the Future Combat Air System programme, which will strengthen KSA's defensive capabilities through a comprehensive partnership that includes joint production and research and development projects for future air systems,” bin Salman tweeted from his official account.

Currently in its concept and assessment phase, the FCAS programme comprises the FCAS Technology Initiative (FCAS TI) and the FCAS Acquisition Programme (FCAS AP), and is geared at delivering the technology that will augment and then replace the Eurofighter Typhoon in UK Royal Air Force (RAF) service.

In conjunction with this effort, Team Tempest, which includes the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the four primary industry partners of BAE Systems, Leonardo, Rolls-Royce, and MBDA, is developing with Italian industry the Tempest ‘sixth-generation' combat aircraft that will sit at the heart of FCAS (a demonstrator is set to fly by 2027).

In turn, the UK-Italian Tempest will be merged with the Japanese F-X programme under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) announced in December 2022. The development phase of this project is due to be launched in 2024.

 
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Huge news.

Also rumors of KSA showing interest in joining the FCAS-program.

Given the rapid development of the indigenous military sector in KSA and booming local defense firms like SAMI and GAMI, obligatory ToT (at least 50 %) in any large deal, this will be another such step. By that time, KSA will be able to offer a lot of technical and economic support to this program.

Anyway natural to work with the UK given the Typhoon and Tornado programs within KSA and partial localization and manufacture/assembly of parts locally.

However I am quite sure that this is not the last program that KSA will join.

@The SC @hamza gareeb

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Huge news.

Also rumors of KSA showing interest in joining the FCAS-program.

Given the rapid development of the indigenous military sector in KSA and booming local defense firms like SAMI and GAMI, obligatory ToT (at least 50 %) in any large deal, this will be another such step. By that time, KSA will be able to offer a lot of technical and economic support to this program.

Anyway natural to work with the UK given the Typhoon and Tornado programs within KSA and partial localization and manufacture/assembly of parts locally.

However I am quite sure that this is not the last program that KSA will join.

@The SC @hamza gareeb

1677750239599.png


1677750287206.png
The talk and rumors were there for a while.. only now the intent is officially signed by the two partners..
 
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Not surprising given the relationship built via the Tornado and Typhoon programs. I think the more interesting aspect is to see if KSA can localize the FCAS. Let's see if they decide to make big investments in critical industries, like gas turbines, composites, etc. This would be the biggest gamechanger to KSA since oil.
 
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Not surprising given the relationship built via the Tornado and Typhoon programs. I think the more interesting aspect is to see if KSA can localize the FCAS. Let's see if they decide to make big investments in critical industries, like gas turbines, composites, etc. This would be the biggest gamechanger to KSA since oil.

Let me put it this way, they are in full swing as far as gas turbines, composites etc. goes. "See the "Made in KSA" thread.

Very recent news:


There is a long way ahead but recent years/decades of focus on STEM, education, ToT, industrialization within KSA, exploiting the massive potential for mineral extraction and the mining sector within KSA (critical components for an independent and indigenous weapons sector) as well as the political will and money needed (investments) is a great first step.

Anyway KSA has no other choice but to embrace the road towards industrialization on every possible front be it renewables, mining, manufacturing, green hydrogen, petrochemicals (already a huge sector naturally), artificial intelligence, semiconductor industry, electric cars, even greater agricultural output and exports, tourism (religious and non-religious), technology and digital transformation (KSA is one of the leading countries on this front actually), biotech and healthcare etc.
 
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The white people will squeeze arabs to fund their defense program.

In return, the rich princes will be allowed to flaunt the law in europe and US.
The new Arab isnt the one Pakistanis have been fed the narrative for - that outmoded “cant fight or work without us” is blind fallacy Pakistanis tell themselves. Today’s Arab is smart, educated and entrepreneurial to know exactly what they are doing. Sure, arabs fund programs which the white folks use but that also means they have the highest spec system.

They are pushing for technology to be part of their culture and eventually their reliance will slow down.

Let me put it this way, they are in full swing as far as gas turbines, composites etc. goes. "See the "Made in KSA" thread.

Very recent news:


There is a long way ahead but recent years/decades of focus on STEM, education, ToT, industrialization within KSA, exploiting the massive potential for mineral extraction and the mining sector within KSA (critical components for an independent and indigenous weapons sector) as well as the political will and money needed (investments) is a great first step.

Anyway KSA has no other choice but to embrace the road towards industrialization on every possible front be it renewables, mining, manufacturing, green hydrogen, petrochemicals (already a huge sector naturally), artificial intelligence, semiconductor industry, electric cars, even greater agricultural output and exports, tourism (religious and non-religious), technology and digital transformation (KSA is one of the leading countries on this front actually), biotech and healthcare etc.
They are going all out - MBS is the best to happen to KSA and it will emerge as a juggernaut leaving all behind.
 
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The new Arab isnt the one Pakistanis have been fed the narrative for - that outmoded “cant fight or work without us” is blind fallacy Pakistanis tell themselves. Today’s Arab is smart, educated and entrepreneurial to know exactly what they are doing. Sure, arabs fund programs which the white folks use but that also means they have the highest spec system.

They are pushing for technology to be part of their culture and eventually their reliance will slow down.


They are going all out - MBS is the best to happen to KSA and it will emerge as a juggernaut leaving all behind.
I said a few years ago that KSA will change for the better under MBS's leadership and people made fun of me. Today we can see the results of MBS's reforms. I have lived there for 15 years and I have seen the transformation of the kingdom. The gulf states will have a renaissance of their own in the coming years.
 
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I said a few years ago that KSA will change for the better under MBS's leadership and people made fun of me. Today we can see the results of MBS's reforms. I have lived there for 15 years and I have seen the transformation of the kingdom. The gulf states will have a renaissance of their own in the coming years.
They will pretty much all go the way of Turkey or Dubai. The eventual “third world” of the muslim world will be Pakistan, Afghanistan and the larger African muslim states.
 
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They will pretty much all go the way of Turkey or Dubai. The eventual “third world” of the muslim world will be Pakistan, Afghanistan and the larger African muslim states.
I am too optimistic about Pakistan as the potential is simply way too huge. Pakistan thriving is not a matter of if but when. Now when that when comes is something I don't know.
 
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They will pretty much all go the way of Turkey or Dubai. The eventual “third world” of the muslim world will be Pakistan, Afghanistan and the larger African muslim states.
tbh I'd wager the African states will somehow pull out of it too...definitely (IMO) Senegal and Morocco, for example. It's the ones with our Pakistani-style mentality (well-entrenched elites, import culture, etc), e.g., Nigeria, Algeria, Somalia, Sudan, Egypt, etc, that will lag.
 
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