World Defense Show, 2024

[Latinbear]

Earlier this month I travelled with Netherlands based aviation tour company 4Aviation to Riyadh for the World Defense Show 2024. 

 

First held in 2022 the show is located at a huge purpose built exhibition centre some 55 miles north of the capital. The venue also has an 8,000 foot runway attached. Unlike the inaugural show which was interrupted by a severe sandstorm this year's show was blessed with blue skies and temperatures in the early-mid 20s. 

 

To offer a sense of scale there were some 770 exhibitors from around 75 countries ranging from the largest contractors to the smallest offering literally everything you could possibly want to conventionally equip a military from heavy armour to weapons systems, small arms, ships, uniforms, bridging systems, rations, munitions, drones by the hundreds and space and cyber warfare . I believe there were around 100,000 visitors across the four days the show ran for.

 

Each morning there was a land warfare demonstration for around 30 minutes with the airshow taking place in mid-afternoon for a couple of hours. In addition to the Saudi Hawks, the Turkish Stars and the August 1st team from the People's Republic of China with their J10s were also present. Pakistan sent three JF17 Thunders and the home team contributed a Typhoon to the display. The French Rafale flew on day one and then left. 

 

1. The show was protected by a couple of batteries of Patriots. Mortar anti-drone systems were also present. Incidentally, Patriots are also deployed to protect King Khalid International Airport.

 

2. The USAF deployed this Middle East temporarily based Lakenheath Strike Eagle along with an A-10C, E-11, F-16C, Blackhawk and a couple of C-130s. 

 

3.  The Poseidon flew through on day one only. A USAF F-16C flew three passes each day from another base. 

 

4. The USAF flew in their CONUS based demonstration pilot although she flew the demo aircraft from elsewhere which she declined to name! 

 

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9. The Stars were supported by this Hercules and an A-400M. 

 

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12. This Leanardo Wildcat was flown in by an RAF A400M. 

 

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15. Unfortunately, the RSAF F-15SA didn't fly.

 

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21. Towards the end of the week the Saudi Hawks and the Turkish Stars put up this joint flypast. 

 

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24. Former Red Arrow Mike Ling flew the RSAF photographer in the photo Hawk. 

 

25. The future. New aircraft and new colour scheme. The Hawk Mk165 will replace the team's current aircraft. 

 

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28. Saudi Typhoon. 

 

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31. After landing the Chinese pilots formed up and then marched off.

 

32. After finishing their display the team organised three aircraft as shown and gathered for a group picture. As two of us trained our lenses on them, their photographers

were doing the same to us hence we made sure our photo badges were turned around! Saudi Typhoon displaying overhead. 

 

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34. A the final afternoon of the show progressed there was a definite feel of it coming to an end with drop tanks being fitted to the J10s and the Turkish F5s in preparation

for their flights home. 

 

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That's it, thanks for looking

[Vultures1]

Great photos from what looks like a really interesting show

 

It's also really interesting to see the range of international attendees. To be clear, that's not a political comment, just an observation about the countries and types represented 

[canberraman]

Some excellent images Latinbear from a country rarely visited by the aviation enthusiast community. Don't think I've seen the Chinese display team up close and I do like the look of the new Saudi Hawks. Looks to have been a fabulous and very worthwhile trip. Thanks for sharing.

 

Mark

[Latinbear]

23 hours ago, Vultures1 said:

Great photos from what looks like a really interesting show

 

It's also really interesting to see the range of international attendees. To be clear, that's not a political comment, just an observation about the countries and types represented 

 

Thank you Vulture 1. Yes, it was a very interesting event to attend not least wandering the halls and talking to exhibitors on the various stands. It was also great to be able to wander around the aircraft talking to the crews. I've seen RAF A400M's in the this country at numerous shows and been in the hold but I had to go to Saudi to enable me to climb into the cockpit! (which was powered up too). 

 

I decided to emphasise the Chinese team in the images posted as we've had the Hawks and Stars both display in the UK but I felt the Chinese had particular rarity value. Qatar sent an NH90 and Brazil sent a C390 as well.  

[Latinbear]

23 hours ago, canberraman said:

Some excellent images Latinbear from a country rarely visited by the aviation enthusiast community. Don't think I've seen the Chinese display team up close and I do like the look of the new Saudi Hawks. Looks to have been a fabulous and very worthwhile trip. Thanks for sharing.

 

Mark

 

Thank you for the kind words Mark. It was the prospect of visiting this event in a country that as you rightly observe doesn't figure highly in the aviation enthusiast community that appealed. The Chinese team was a first for me and while I don't know what their normal smoke colours are, the choice of white and green reflected their presence in Saudi Arabia. You may have seen the flags on the side of the aircraft which shows the countries they have displayed in.  

[Alpha Delta 210]

An epic set with some truly rare types! Did the Warthog come from 355 WG at Davis-Monthan Arizona, by any chance?

[Latinbear]

44 minutes ago, Alpha Delta 210 said:

An epic set with some truly rare types! Did the Warthog come from 355 WG at Davis-Monthan Arizona, by any chance?

 

Thank you AD! Suffice to say there was a lot of excitement in the group when it was discovered that the A10C would be displaying! You are indeed correct about the home base for the A10Cs related to the show but the unanswered question was where they were based while on deployment to the Middle East. Questions about the local basing of the F-16C and the UH60 were also met with temporary memory loss!  😁

 

As you got the home base correct, can you guess the squadron? 😎

 

 

[Red Dot]

What an excellent report accompanied by some great photos.

 

These smaller shows in unusual countries offer opportunities that we don't get here in the UK

 

Andy 

[Latinbear]

1 hour ago, Red Dot said:

What an excellent report accompanied by some great photos.

 

These smaller shows in unusual countries offer opportunities that we don't get here in the UK

 

Andy 

 

Thanks Andy, much appreciated! It was nice to visit somewhere a bit different and experience a show that we wouldn't ordinarily get to see. How was Japan? I am very envious of some of the model shop and aircraft images that have been posted! 

[Red Dot]

Japan was excellent. I had a great group who loved the model shops, including a couple of awesome new ones we found. I managed to bring too many books home plus a collection of kits for both myself and others.

 

I can't wait until next year when we are thinking of a trip in May to include the Shizuoka show..

 

Andy