A New Era for Combat Vehicles Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – In a significant move for the defense industry, American giant Lockheed Martin has signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi company ERAF to explore the development and local production of a combat vehicle-mounted unmanned turret. The announcement was made at the prestigious World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia, marking an important step towards modernizing military capabilities and strengthening the kingdom’s defense industrial base.
Innovation for the Modern Battlefield The turret, initially developed in the UK and unveiled in September, incorporates „all the latest capabilities built-in for counter-UAS and its own self-protection, as well as kind of contributing to the protection of troops,” stated Tim Cahill, president of fire and missile control at Lockheed Martin. A prototype of the platform, displayed at ERAF’s stand, demonstrates its versatility, equipped with a 20 mm cannon, a Javelin missile launcher, and an advanced electro-optical system. Its modular design allows mounting on various platforms and integration with different weapon types and calibers, thus adapting to a wide range of operational scenarios.
The Connected Eye on the Battlefield Beyond its individual capabilities, this turret is designed to function as an integral part of a broader network. „Because we have capability to tie these into broader networking systems, the turret won’t just be a standalone unit. It’ll be tied in connectivity-wise,” Cahill explained. It will serve as an additional „node” in the combat circuit, providing vital information for Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) systems targeting Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), thereby contributing to situational awareness and troop protection.
Vision 2030: Local Production and Global Exports Should the project move forward, producing the turrets in Saudi Arabia will give the Saudi side „access to all the technology and all the capability,” Cahill emphasized. This initiative perfectly aligns with the kingdom’s Vision 2030, which aims for 50% of defense production to be done locally. However, ambitions do not stop there. „Ultimately, we believe that there’s a worldwide market for this. We’ll be able to export these turrets as well,” he added, opening prospects for Saudi Arabia to become an exporter of advanced defense technology.
Paving the Way for Serial Production The launch of serial production is contingent upon signing a contract with the Saudi armed forces. While ERAF already possesses some infrastructure, establishing a joint production facility „depends on what happens with the next phase,” said Surinder Rajput, ERAF vice president of international affairs. If the project receives a green light, the Saudi production unit for unmanned turrets would become the second of its kind worldwide, after Lockheed Martin’s facility in the UK. Cahill confirmed that Lockheed has already received formal Requests for Information (RFIs) from Saudi land forces and the National Guard, indicating substantial interest.
A Consolidated Partnership and Expanded Supply Chain This recent collaboration is just the latest in a series of Lockheed Martin partnerships with Saudi firms. For instance, AIC Steel is subcontracted by Lockheed to develop subsystems for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, and the American giant has also launched a software production facility in the kingdom. Cahill praised the quality and competence of Saudi suppliers, stating that „what’s clear is that we need more suppliers worldwide and there are very competent, capable suppliers here within Saudi Arabia. They’ve already proved it. The THAAD canisters are outstanding.” He expects Saudi production facilities to become an integral part of Lockheed Martin’s international supply chain, allowing locally certified parts to be integrated into systems anywhere in the world.
