Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) and Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) have signed a contract for the development and manufacture of the SkyGuard UAV.
SAMI also signed an agreement with the Prince Sultan Defense Studies and Science Research Center (PSDSARC) for developing the UAV.
The Skyguard UAV program started development in Saudi Arabia a few years ago and flight trials of the UAV began in 2016. Reports said the Skyguard is fitted with a data link and can carry a variety of payloads in the nose and belly.
According to reports, the Sky Guard drone is made of carbon fiber and weighs only 250 kg, with a payload of 50-60 kg. The flight distance within the radio range is 200 kilometers, and the flight distance via satellite is more than 700 kilometers. It can fly at altitudes of 18,000-23,000 feet for 10 consecutive hours.
An official statement said “SkyGuard” is the outcome of numerous R&D efforts undertaken by the Center and geared towards developing a truly local product that is compliant with the operational requirements of end users.
Saudi Arabia has set a target of spending 50 percent of expenditure on locally manufactured defense products and services by 2030.
Ahmad Al-Ohali, Governor of GAMI, said the agreement is expected to add great value by increasing military readiness within the kingdom’s defense ecosystem and enhancing both field responsiveness and technical support besides creating jobs.