Saudi Arabia unveils first indigenous armed drone ‘Saqr 1’
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has unveiled a new strategic drone programme called Saqr 1 in Riyadh according to a Saudi Press Agency report 10 May.
KACST President Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed stated that the Saqr 1 is equipped with a Ka satellite communication system. It has a range of 2500km, can launch guided armaments from 550 – 6000m with a range of 10km. The UAV is equipped with thermal imaging and surveillance technology, and capable of an average altitude of 20,000ft with a flight time of 24 hours.
The National Aeronautical Technology Centre, a
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Defence Notes
-
Companies post mostly rosy results but warn of potential dark clouds
First quarter 2025 results have been dropping for companies in the past week but many of the US results come with a health warning in their forward-looking aspects about the potential impact of actions by the Trump administration.
-
Spain unveils new multi-billion euro defence investment plan
The new plan outlined how Spain would reach 2% of its GDP spend on defence by 2025, with €1.9 billion earmarked for new equipment acquisition with several land, naval and air platforms disclosed to be replaced or upgraded.
-
New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia
This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.
-
UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”
Rachel Reeves announced port upgrades, protected budgets for innovation and investment in novel technologies.
-
Avalon 2025: Australian defence budget meets the low expectations of show attendees
The Australian Budget was marked by tax cuts and a looming general election which led to little hope that there would be a substantial defence boost even with a big bill for nuclear submarines due.
-
Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market
The communications company Gilat launched its new Gilat Defense division at the Satellite 2025 expo, with future solutions aimed at US military customers.