Turkey defense firms break record with $10B in revenues: SIPRI Turkey set a new record with five companies in the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's Top 100 for 2024, which included nine Middle Eastern countries for the first time amid conflict-driven arms demand. Turkey
US approves $1.4B in military sales to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain: What to know An estimated $1 billion in foreign military sales will go to Saudi Arabia, and $445 million will go to Bahrain. United States
Trump says US will sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, first Arab country to acquire jets The deal could rattle Washington's ties with Israel and is not likely to be approved by Congress unless conditioned on Saudi normalization of ties with Israel. Saudi Arabia
Turkey grounds all C-130 military aircraft after Georgia crash kills 20 Authorities said the aircraft’s maintenance was up to date, no ammunition was on board and the investigation is ongoing. Turkey
Analysis Turkey boosts R&D spending to $20B amid push for defense self-sufficiency By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
US greenlights Israel's $3.5B sale of Arrow 3 air defense system to Germany Germany has been trying to acquire the system for around a year now, with tension rising between Russia and NATO over the Ukraine war. Israel
Analysis Why is Japan opposed to Saudi Arabia joining UK-Italy GCAP fighter jet alliance? Japan is concerned about future problems with Saudi Arabia as one of four decision-makers on the Global Combat Air Program's board with veto power, according to experts. By Salim A. Essaid
In radical shift, Israel's El Al airline in talks to buy Airbus planes El Al is in "serious" talks with Airbus to purchase new planes but continues to negotiate with Boeing as well. Israel
House Democrats urge cuts to Egypt's military aid over rights abuses The Biden administration will soon decide whether to restrict part of the United States’ annual military assistance to Egypt for the third year in a row. Egypt
Saudi Arabia agrees to produce Turkey’s Baykar drones Riyadh wants to boost its military might, especially with the prospect of its main rival Iran developing its nuclear enrichment capabilities. Saudi Arabia
Analysis Can Iran's Shahed drones in Ukraine help ease tension with Russia? Tensions that emerged after Iran summoned the Russian ambassador over Moscow's comments on disputed islands with the UAE has once again highlighted the limits of trust in bilateral relations between the two. By Anton Mardasov
France, UK jostle for defense influence with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar France is aiming to bolster its presence as a leading security guarantor and partner in the Gulf, at a time the UK is also seeking to strengthen its ties with GCC countries. Legacy: Gulf
Iran, Belarus sign defense MOU as they explore cooperation on drones Belarus may start playing a bigger role in Russia’s use of Iranian drones in the war on Ukraine. Iran
Iran drones venture into South America market with Bolivia as new customer Iran was seen attempting to expand its sway in Latin America after Bolivia expressed interest in purchasing Iranian drones and reports said the Venezuelan navy had started using Iran-made attack boats that could be mounted with ballistic missiles. Iran
China, UAE overtake US companies at Turkey’s IDEF 23 weapons fair During the 15th edition of the IDEF in 2021, the global fair saw more than a thousand companies from 53 countries attend and had more than 94 signing ceremonies take place. Turkey
China’s newly appointed FM Wang Yi heads to Turkey, will meet Erdogan The meeting with Erdogan and Turkish FM Fidan will mark the first high-level visit from a Chinese official since 2021. Turkey
Iran unveils new ballistic missile after US deployment to Gulf Iranian officials said they had already mass-produced the "radar-evading" missile, which relies on artificial intelligence and is capable of "completely destroying" any frigate. Iran
