The EOTS uses infrared imaging to detect and track targets, as well as laser designation for guiding precision munitions, without adding external targeting pods that would make it less stealthy.

Elsewhere, the undercarriage doors are now jagged and while no powerplant has been selected, there are aspirations to acquire a turbofan engine, with Edge having been in discussions with engine manufacturers to meet this requirement.

Positioned next to the Jeniah is a Halcon P32 Thunder precision-guided munition, of which two could be housed in the weapons bay.

The low-observable high-speed UCAV, which will be used for manned-unmanned teaming operations is not expected to fly for three-four years, so obviously by 2030, when the Rafale F5 is expected to be launched with the Dassault Neuron UCAV for manned-unmanned teaming the Jeniah could be ready.

They are representative of the 12 aircraft on order (and 12 on option) by the UAEAF&AD known as ‘P12’. The first (001) is, according to one source, expected to fly soon and will feature both ground attack and advanced mission trainer configurations.

The B-250 is being designed for missions such as close air support, intelligent surveillance and reconnaissance, persistent air support, counterinsurgency as well as training.

All three new prototypes will be involved in several flight test campaigns to speed up the certification of the mission systems – such as electronic warfare, stores management system and weapons integration. 

The example found at the Calidus stand in the outside area, B250T 981 wearing an orange colour scheme, while the second prototype, B250 982 is in a grey scheme. 

The Desert Sting 16 and Desert Sting 25, as well as the Halcon P32 Thunder precision-guided munition, are all being integrated for the ground-attack role.

One surprise addition to the aircraft’s armoury was Calidus’s own Alheda (name for a Falcon who flies from fire to fire) air-to-ground weapon.

Initially a ground-to-ground weapon, housing high-explosive fragmentation and high-explosive anti-tank warheads, integration of the air-launched weapon is currently on going. 

Progress with the B250T trainer version, like 981 at the stand, is not as rapid as the B250 version, as the UAEAF&AD is still considering all its basic trainer options.

In addition to the 12 on order with 12 options for the local customer, announced in a $620 million deal at Dubai Airshow 2019, another eight are also being built in the WX-80 configuration specifically for the cloud-seeding or rain-maker role. 

According to a source, Calidus is expecting a substantial order for the B250 from its first export customer by the end of the year. 

In addition to its anti-surface warfare role, which sees it armed with the short-range MBDA Martel to engage low-flying ground threats and the MBDA Sea Venom anti-ship missile, the Wildcat is used for force protection and counter-piracy ops. The HMS Lancaster Type 23 frigate is currently in the Middle East as part of Operation Kipion.   

In mid-March, the HMS Lancaster struck drug traffickers in the region when it seized a haul with a market value of £5.4 million in the northern Arabian Sea.

In the Navy’s first bust of 2025, sailors and Royal Marines from the Portsmouth-based warship subsequently destroyed 340kgs of heroin and 83kgs of methamphetamine, following a concerted effort that saw drones play a key role for the first time.

It was thanks to the sharp eyes of operators on one of the new Peregrine remote-controlled mini-helicopters that suspicious activity was spotted on boats side-by-side in the dead of night.

That prompted the frigate to launch a Wildcat helicopter for closer inspection. When its crew arrived on the scene they could clearly see packages being transferred from a small fast boat on to a dhow, the traditional fishing/cargo vessels commonplace in the region. The actions were the clear sign of a drug smuggling operation.

Under Operation Kipion the UK has maintained a permanent maritime presence in the Persian Gulf since 1980.

Initially known as the Armilla Patrol, in June 2011 the deployment evolved into Operation Kipion which represents the Royal Navy’s current maritime security presence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

Operation Kipion is a combination of Royal Navy operations in the Middle East patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, and Suez Canal and conducting counter-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean. 

From February 24 to March 14, the Royal Saudi Air Force deployed six Boeing F-15SA Eagles from 6 Squadron based at King Khalid Air Base, Khamis Mushayt, to RAF Waddington in the UK for Exercise Cobra Warrior, the largest exercise run by the RAF.

They were among 50 or so aircraft that participated in drills that primarily used to qualify new qualified weapons instructors (QWIs). It was effectively a coalition of France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the UK according to exercise director group captain Jim Calvert.

Over the three-week period, there were 12 missions that grew in complexity as the exercise progressed.

The first week concentrated on air to air training, when Blue Air took on Red Air, while offensive counter air and and surface attack missions took place in the second week before moving to dynamic targetting, personal recovery and long-range air interdiction strikes.

Most of the missions took place over the North Sea.

According to the RSAF deputy commander, lieutenant colonel Faisal Turki, his personnel had been "working hard hand in hand, wing tip to wing tip with our colleagues of the RAF.

"This is the first time we came here with the F-15s, so it's a different environment than what we have in the region and at home."

In March, the RSAF sent six Eurofighter Typhoon F2/T3s to the Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB, Nevada where the United Arab Emirates Air Force were flying six Lockheed Martin F-16E/Fs.

Red Flag is undoubtedly the biggest exercise, where pilots can train in the toughest air combat training environments.

Pilots hone their war-fighting skills, testing their tactical expertise in realistic and complex, large-scale air missions.

Running from March 10-21, 2025, Red Flag 25-2 saw the participation of 1,500 participants from 15 squadrons representing the RSAF, UAEAF&AD, Turkish Air Force, US Air Force and US Marine Corps.

The Qatari Emir Air Force sent four Boeing F-15QA Eagles, while the UAEAF&AD sent four Dassault Mirage 2000-9s to Exercise Iniochos, an annual multinational air exercise hosted by the Hellenic Air Force at Andravida AB, western Greece between March 14 - April 13.

Both are showing interest in the aircraft’s development programme. In late 2024, A visit by Royal Saudi Air Force commander, Prince Turki bin Bandar al Saud brought reports that Saudi Arabia was keen on the Kaan.

The author asked TAI’s general manager Dr Mehmet Demiroglu about the interest, and all he would say was, “There a number of countries interested and I’m not going to deny that Saudi is one of them!”

With the USA denying the export of the Lockheed Martin F-35A to Saudi and the UAE, because of concerns from Israel, the Kaan would be a very good option. Both have burgeoning indigenous defence industries, and the Kaan could being a lot of technology transfer, if both countries wanted enough numbers of the Kaan.

Turkey has a requirement for around 200 of the new jet, and Saudi has a need for around 100 to replace the older Boeing F-15s and Panavia Tornados, while the UAE seeks a successor to its 80 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 60s.

With the restoration of relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia in 2022, after both took opposing sides in the Libya war that saw a ceasefire agreed in October 2020, talks on Kaan have subsequently increased.

It comes after Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) announced in August last year that 70 per cent of the components for the TAI Akinci unmanned combat air vehicles procured by Saudi Arabia would be manufactured domestically, reflecting Saudi efforts to enhance its defense industrial capabilities.

A similar deal on the Kaan would be big business for SAMI, and contribute significantly to Saudi’s Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ‘Saudi Vision 2030’ ambitions.

UAE has been looking for a fifth-generation fighter for several years, having agreed to purchase 50 F-35As during the first Trump administration in 2020, it apparently pulled out during Joe Biden’s term in office due to pre-conditions over UAE’s relationship with China.

Since then, the UAE which enjoys a good relationship with South Korea through long-term agreements with the likes of LIG, has shown keen interest in South Korea’s Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) fifth-generation KF-21 Boramae. The UAE’s interest in the Kaan is understandable and would be an attractive proposition for Edge, the ever-growing UAE defence company.

“The main advantage of Kaan is it will be Turkish, so there will be no restrictions [like the US DoD’s ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations). Everything onboard is indigenous, the engine and the ejection seat are the only two main systems that are not indigenous yet,” Dr Mehmet Demiroglu said.

The Kaan will replace the entire fleet of 240 Turkish Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16s, although with manned-unammned teaming developments that will include both the Anka-3 UCASTAI Aksungar UCAS and Super Simsek subsonic multi-mission UAS it wont necessarily be a like-for-like replacement.

Dr Demiroglu told Arabian Aerospace that serial production is expected to start in 2028. “Its ambitious, but we will not jeopardise safety to meet that goal.”

The first deliveries will be the 20 basic Block 10s in 2028/29, then 20 Block 20s (no difference In terms of structures, but in software and systems readiness) and the Block 30s with the new Turkish engines should be available in 6-7 years.

Every weapon will be produced by Turkey – Roketsan, Tubitak-SAGE and Aselsan plus any other weapons in the inventory.   All the aircraft will be upgraded to Block 30.

Exports are unlikely to take place before the early 2030s.