🧵Latest: #Russia angles for drone-making partners in the Middle East. Rosoboronexport has said it wants to establish drone production facilities in #MidEast region, including UAE, as it attempts to grab market share in area it deems receptive to the idea. defensenews.com/global/mideast…
2. State-owned Russian media agency TASS cited the export agency as saying it would make overtures to regional governments at the UMEX 2024 conference here, held here on Jan. 23-25, singling out the show’s host nation in particular [#UAE].
3. “Company representatives will speak about broad capabilities in the field of industrial cooperation to localize drone production on the territory of the customer, hold joint work to create prospective samples with the use of Russian competences in their design,” TASS reported.
4. In last 2 years, Russia’s military-industrial complex has been focused on supporting invasion of UKR, which has now reached a standstill w/ roughly 1/5 of the country occupied according to analysts. Rate of equipment consumed on battlefield has left little for Moscow to export
5. As I noted in a CNA report I wrote on the #Russia's customer base over the summer, the #MidEast is the only region that recorded a decent increase in Russian arms purchases from 2013 to 2017 and 2018 to 2022, now accounting for 17% of these exports. cna.org/reports/2023/1…
6. However, no considerable partnerships have since been announced between the Kremlin and Gulf countries. The report notes that rather, regional states that may have expressed a previous interest in Russian arms programs now seem to be leaning more towards Western weapons.
7. In the unmanned systems sector, the Gulf region has looked to a greater extent to #Turkey as a key supplier. In July, #SaudiArabia placed an order for Akinci combat drones, which the Turkish manufacturer Baykar referred to as the “biggest sale” to date between the two nations.
8. This contract brought the number of Gulf customers of @BaykarTech drones to four, along with Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. On Jan 18. the Emirati defense conglomerate Edge Group also announced that it had integrated its guided bomb onto the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone.
@BaykarTech 9. It remains unclear which specific drones models Moscow wants made here: “The ones that people want – the Lancet and most Orlans are not available for export, and the ones that are available – KUB loitering munition and Orion – receive a lukewarm reception,” @sambendett said.
@BaykarTech @sambendett 10. However, one candidate could be the Zala ISR done, he added, using the acronym for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Zala Aero Group, the manufacturer, is present at the drone show here, though the company does not have any aircraft on public display.
@BaykarTech @sambendett 11. When asked about the prospect of Russian drone manufacturing in the Middle East, and whether any of their platforms may be included, a Zala representative said the company was unaware of these reports.
“It is the first time we are hearing about this,” the rep told me.
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🧵Latest: #Spain has answered the urgent call for European states to ramp up ammo production by awarding local defense contractor Rheinmetall Expal Munitions a multimillion-dollar contract for 120mm munitions and issuing tenders for 155mm artillery shells. defensenews.com/global/europe/…
2. In mid-December, #Spanish gov. published notices stating it had ordered 120mm mortar shells, illuminating grenades, smoke grenades and other related explosive material from Rheinmetall Expal Munitions. The combined value of the listed contracts is estimated at $4.67 million.
3. The #German company Rheinmetall acquired the Spanish company, formerly known as Expal Systems, in August in a deal worth $1.3 billion. The purchased firm has continued its activities in Spain and has plans to expand.
🧵Latest: Tucked away outside at the very end of the #DubaiAirshow’s static display, #Russia's pavilion spanned large portion of the floor plan. Setting was markedly different from its recent displays at defense fairs, where firms came almost empty-handed. defensenews.com/global/mideast…
2. Banking on the event to market its full range of weapons, including those used in the brutal invasion of #Ukraine, Russia’s outdoor setup placed helicopters and air-to-air guided missiles at center stage.
3. One prominent presence was the KA-52E combat helicopter, of which at least 58 units have reportedly been destroyed or damaged by Ukrainians, according to the Dutch open-source intelligence website Oryx.
🧵Latest: Airbus has hired a #Spanish technology center to help with ground testing of the #Eurodrone’s propulsion system, marking the first step toward the platform’s eventual test flight. defensenews.com/unmanned/2023/…
2. As part of the deal, the National Institute of Aerospace Technology, or INTA, which is backed by #Spain's Defence Ministry, will carry out ground trials to enable the integration and growth of the Eurodrone propulsion system.
3. “As part of its programme work package, Airbus Defense and Space in Spain will deliver to INTA the power plant — consisting of engine, nacelle and engine mounting system, assembled in its facilities in Seville,” a company spokesperson wrote in an email.
🧵 Latest: Saudi Arabia is giving a boost to #Turkey’s struggling economy through a major drone contract negotiated w/ Turkish Baykar, one that @haluk tells me is the biggest sale between the 2 countries in Turkish defense history in a single contract. defensenews.com/global/mideast…
2. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan embarked last week on a Gulf tour amid an ongoing financial crisis in Turkey, with the country’s currency plunging in value and inflation skyrocketing. His first stop: Saudi Arabia.
3. He attended alongside Saudi’s ruler Mohammed bin Salman the signing of a contract between Baykar and the Saudi MoD for the purchase of #Akinci combat drones. Bakyar declined to comment on the total contract value and number of systems acquired, citing customer preferenc
🧵Latest: #Estonia is one of many states looking to gradually make UGVs an important part of their military structure and doctrine as a complement to – or outright replacement of – existing capabilities. Run-down of June trials with old players & newcomers defensenews.com/unmanned/2023/…
2. Objective of the trials was for the UGVs to finish 3 daily scenarios, ranging from easy-challenging, in time slot of 20 minutes, with minimal operator intervention or in autonomous mode. They took place in front of observers composed of military officials from 20 countries.
3. There was a predominant presence from European companies showcasing their capabilities including the following countries: Germany, Austria, Estonia, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic and France. Rheinmetall Canada was also present and Elbit Systems was also meant to present.
🧵Latest: #Portugal's drone manufacturer Tekever has confirmed to me that it will provide some of its long-endurance systems to Kyiv to support land and maritime operations, a move bankrolled by the UK's International Fund for #Ukraine. defensenews.com/unmanned/2023/…
2. This week British MoD shared video on social media showcasing military equipment being provided by the IFU to Ukrainians. Launched last summer, first IFU deliveries — funded by Denmark, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands & the UK— will begin to arrive in July.
3. OSINT analysts were quick to identify what seems to be Malloy T150s manufactured by British company Malloy Aeronautics, the DeltaQuad Pro VTOL drone produced by Dutch firm DeltaQuad, & Astero ISR UAV from Denmark’s Nordic Wing. UK MoD declined to comment on specific platforms