From F-35s to full-sized naval vessels: Day 1 at Saudi Arabia’s WDS 2026
Breaking Defense is on the ground for Saudi Arabia's largest defense exhibition.
Amid tensions, Emirati firms bow out of Saudi Arabia’s World Defense Show
Several companies were supposed to be displaying their hardware and platforms, but the designated spot doesn't show signs of Emirati presence.
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Turning R&D into reality to meet the challenges of the modern battlefield
Knowing when to build on commercial systems and when to develop something new can be the difference between parity and information dominance.
PHOTOS: The sights of World Defense Show Day 1
Defense firms from around the globe brought their products for display at the expo outside Riyadh.
Defense’s biggest players are heading to the World Defense Show. Here’s what to expect.
As dozens of foreign firms descend on Riyadh, local defense giant Saudi Arabian Military Industries "will showcase more than 60 national products and capabilities across its various subsidiaries," the firm said in a statement.
Lockheed Martin to launch C2 software factory in Saudi Arabia
Experts told Breaking Defense that establishing the software factory is a qualitative shift in the relation between US and Saudi from a hardware-based cooperation to software.
Turkish shipbuilder to launch ARES Naval in Saudi Arabia with two shipyards: CEO
Gulf Cooperation Council countries are "one of the top export markets for ARES in the future,” ARES Shipyard CEO Oğuzhan Pehlivanli told Breaking Defense.
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Voyager is accelerating access to space
After manifesting 1,400 payloads aboard the ISS, Voyager is applying its mission management expertise to the next generation of space stations, ensuring uninterrupted mission readiness and success from the ground to space.
America needs a nuclear nonproliferation policy … again
For the last 16 years, the US has not had any nuclear nonproliferation policies. Henry Sokolski in this op-ed argues why that needs to change.
US clears $6.7B in new weapon sales to Israel, $9B in Patriot missiles for Saudi Arabia
The Israeli package includes 30 AH-64E Apache helicopters and, 3,250 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles.
Is Israel’s F-35 Qualitative Military Edge DOA after Saudi announcement?
Israel was an early acquirer of the advanced plane, signing a deal in 2010 and receiving its first two aircraft in 2016; it is believed to have been the first country to use the plane in combat in 2018.
F-35, tank sales part of new US-Saudi Strategic Defense Agreement
As part of the defense deal, Riyadh will purchase nearly 300 tanks from Washington.
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Data overload threatens decisionmakers as autonomy expands
Reducing cognitive overload on warfighters while improving “time to trust” for autonomous systems is a matter of design.
Embraer drops proposal for Saudi C-390 final assembly, shifts to UAE
“To be honest with you, my perspective is that for the C-390, there is no way to have two completion centers in the region,” said Bosco da Costa Jr., the CEO of Embraer’s defense business.
US will sell F-35 to Saudi Arabia: Trump
The statement from Trump came ahead of a meeting this week with Saudi leader Mohammed bin Salman.
Before Trump’s Abraham Accords optimism, a more subdued view at Middle East conference
At the IISS Manama Dialogue, senior US officials pushed for more countries to join the historic agreement, but at least Lebanese and Syrian officials suggested it won't be that easy.
Don’t fuel Riyadh’s nuclear weapons cravings
In this op-ed, Henry Sokolski explains why the US should not enable Saudi Arabi to produce nuclear fuel.