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Advanced Electronics and Communications Systems (ACES) and Havelsan have officially signed a memorandum of understanding, signaling the start of a strategic partnership to develop initiatives in the fields of defense and information and communications technology (ICT).
It has been an open secret for a very long time that KSA has been heavily funding the Turkish public and private defense companies (along with other wealthy GCC states - mostly Qatar and KSA) but the increase in cooperation across all fields is important for both parties and a very good thing to see.
Models of the American F-35 aircraft and the Turkish KAAN with the flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kaan is likely not going to be a fully mature model until the late 2030's or early 2040's but KSA involvement and investment is part of the ongoing and rapid local transfer of technology and overall spectacular local defense growth that will serve KSA to embark on similar projects in the future. I believe the logic is the same with the ongoing talks with South Korea for the KF-21 project and the GCAP project. This is the right approach. Similarly with the localization of parts of the F-35. We are basically following the model of every other country that made significant leaps. My impression and that of many experts in this field, local as well as foreign, is that we are doing it at a faster speed thanks to our wealth, political connections and top-down government form and MbS' direct involvement and this being one of the priorities. As well as cooperation with partners in the region, West, East (China, South Korea, Japan etc.) and others. As well as the governmental support and private sector support. It is 1 billion times more organic than whatever the Abu Dhabi regime has been doing with Edge as well.
From the public data available we have around 500 STEM students (graduates) moving into the Saudi Arabian public and private defense sectors and entire academies (state) being constructed for the sole purpose of enhancing local capabilities. You will reap the fruits from all such brilliant minds not within a few years but for the next many decades. In particularly as the focus is only increasing on STEM within the public curriculum and public and private universities. So this will only continue and increase by each month.
Add the gigantic AI steps that KSA is taking and positioning itself as one of the main AI hubs globally, and you can imagine the rest.
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#International_Defense_Exhibition_2026
