From 4 to 8 February 2024, Naval Group will attend the second edition of the World Defense Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Naval Group will be showcasing its leading technologies designed to meet the operational needs of navies, offering surface ships solutions and drones, along with high tech systems for the vessels entire life cycle.

Naval Group and Saudi Arabia, a 40-Year History

Naval Group has been established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for almost 40 years, with the objective to develop a sustainable and long-term partnership. After the design and manufacture of 7 frigates and 2 oil replenishers, Naval Group is focusing on improving the Saudi fleet’s availability, through its subsidiary Naval Group Arabia based in Riyadh.

Fitting/Tailoring its offer to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 policy, the Group has been committed to developing further cooperation with local partners, to procure assistance as well as transfer of technologies and know-how through its subsidiary. Throughout these years, Naval Group has also engaged cooperation with universities in order to collaborate on innovative research fields to support the local naval industry.

A Comprehensive Offer for Modern Fleets

Naval Group is one of the few companies in the world with the ability to deliver complete warships with their combat systems and all the critical equipment necessary to engage naval power in a theatre of operations. Naval Group’s booth at the World Defense Show will reflect its comprehensive offer with a focus on its range of services covering the entire life cycle of a ship, as well as surface vessels and drones, including:

• Belharra® Frigate

Belharra® is the new combat ship for naval supremacy and crisis management designed for navies looking for a compact frigate able to perform the largest range of missions stand-alone or within a task force either for high sea long-lasting missions as for shallow water operation, in congested and contested operational environment. As the first digital frigate, Belharra® features high level capabilities in anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine and asymmetric warfare domains, taking into account French Navy operational legacy acquired in wartime situation. Belharra® offers a modular design and can be adapted to meet specific needs of the navies. The French Navy and the Hellenic Navy have both selected these frigates.

• Mine Warfare Vessel (MCM “Mothership”)

Thanks to its long-standing partnership with the French Navy, Naval Group is today the most experienced European industrial company in terms of mine warfare. Naval Group offers “motherships” equipped with proven sea-proven solutions and has a recognized and proven know-how in the integration of all types of drones. The solution developed for Belgium and the Netherlands, through the rMCM program, is a revolution in the field and could meet the needs of many navies facing similar threats.

• Drones

For more than 15 years, Naval Group has impulse a strong push towards unmanned platforms and technologies. The drones and autonomous systems business is a strategic pillar of Naval Group, with a strong positioning across the entire value chain (vessels, autonomous systems, force integration, services). We have carried out the main research programs for the French DGA and Navy to remove the main technological barriers to the integration of aerial UAVs. In the field of underwater drones, we have developed a docking station using our own resources, and in the field of USVs we have developed the BE/NL launch and recovery system. This gives us a unique expertise to define the navalisation criteria for drones intended for operational use from a combat ship.

• Services

Naval Group offers a range of services covering the entire life cycle of a ship, from design to construction, maintenance and dismantling. At Naval Group, more than 5,000 employees located in France and abroad, are responsible for the design, production and implementation of integrated logistical support, in-service support and modernization of ships, training, simulators and marine infrastructures. To optimize ship availability, Naval Group develops innovative digital service solutions in the fields of cyber security and intelligent maintenance.

Today, Naval Group is conducting more than twenty major in-service support programs. Each year, some fifty surface ships and submarines are maintained in service in France and abroad, drawing on rare expertise and high-quality industrial partnerships.