Tactical Report learned that the Saudi military forces have been cleared to obtain 16 Excalibur Unmanned aerial combat vehicles (UCAVs) with the laser equipped (as enclosed a US aircraft but very similar).
This makes Saudi Arabia the first GCC country to get access to a supersonic UCAV to defend against ballistic missiles.
The RSAF UAV Directorate is the most likely user of the equipment.
This kind of equipment, flying at 100,000 feet, Mach 3 with a 1.2MW laser are a paradigm shift of power in the region and will complicate the calculus for certain regional adversaries or increase the cost of aggressive behavior against GCC member states.
The Excalibur is probably most simply described as a modern day cross over between the SR-71 and the F22, but with a very strong laser that you cannot see, stop or fool.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, who also acts as Defence Minister, is holding the keys to 16 of those, making him one of the more powerful men in the region right now.
