SAMI presents its UCAV concept, its new SAMI Land facility, and the Ubayyah 2 armoured vehicle
At the World Defense Show 2024, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) exhibited their production capabilities. Among those the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) concept, while for land systems, the company is building a whole new facility that will considerably increase its production capacity
It is still only at concept stage, but the mock-up of the UCAV under development by SAMI was definitely the most eye-catching item exhibited. Eleven metres long, with an 8.8 metres wingspan, it will have a 3,200 kg maximum take-off weight while its payload will be of 400 kg. It has a V-shape tailplane, and will be powered by a low bypass turbofan providing a 10 kN thrust which air intake is present at the upper-rear of the fuselage. The airframe shape is clearly designed for low observability, not stealthness as the engineer that provided the above data to EDR On-Line underlined, the type of propulsion not being definitely the best option for reducing the thermal signature, although the engine diameter should be the reason for such a choice. The forward tricycle landing gear is obviously retractable, while weapons will find place in the inner bay, in order to preserve the low observability towards radar sensors. Beside the shape, the use of low observable material will also reduce the UCAV visibility to radars. As said what was exhibited at the WDS was a concept model, SAMI awaiting the requirements from the Royal Saudi Air Force, hence no timeline on the system development was available.
This is not the case for the other major programme exhibited at the WDS, the building of a wholly new facility for the SAMI Land division. The facility, which construction has just started, is being build in Al Kharj, some 90 km south-east of Riyadh, and according to information provided to EDR On-Line by division responsible its completion is forecasted for Q3/Q4 2025. It will occupy 82 km2 and will host not only production but also research and development and engineering. Once fully operational it will attract some 1,500 jobs in the area, its yearly production capability being estimated at 960 vehicles.
Currently SAMI is producing only 4×4 armoured vehicles, however the new plant will allow producing also 6×6 and 8×8 platforms, either of own design or in cooperation with other entities. At the WDS 2024 the company also unveiled its Ubayyah 2, an upgrade of the previous Ubayyah. Based on a Ford 550 chassis, its protection level was raised according to customers’ requirements. The new version has a gross vehicle weight of 9,800 kg, no indication on payload being provided. Powered by a 6.7 litres V8 turbodiesel engine providing 330 hp, its high power-to-weight ratio should allow optimal, as partly demonstrated at the WDS. According to SAMI the maximum speed on road is 120 km/h, while off-road the maximum speed is 60 km/h, the 258 litres fuel tank providing long endurance mission capability, no numbers being provided.
The Ubayyah 2 is definitely one of the vehicles which production might migrate to the new Al Kharj plant when this will become available, another one being the Jais, manufactured under license by Nimr, part of the UAE EDGE Group. A manufacturing license agreement was signed on March 10, 2022 by the two companies, a cut-out of the Jais vehicle being exhibited at the WDS in the SAMI stand to show the company system integration capability. On the opening day of the WDS Nimr announced the launch of the Jais Mk2, the second generation version of its 4×4.
Photos by P. Valpolini
