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Arms Trade · Defense Spending · Geopolitics · Supply Chain
Gulf allies, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are actively seeking defense equipment from the UK, South Korea, and Ukraine, moving away from the United States due to significant delivery delays caused by US prioritization of supplies to Ukraine, with some demanding delivery within 30 days.
The UAE has already deployed South Korean systems to counter Iranian munitions, as confirmed by a South Korean lawmaker. A Saudi official stated their seamless work with US providers but emphasized excellent relationships with other nations, pointing to recent agreements with Ukraine for defense materiel.
The global supply chain for critical defense systems, such as the Patriot, is experiencing tightening, impacting nearly 20 operating countries worldwide. This situation has led Switzerland to indicate it will reconsider its existing Patriot order due to the US-induced delays.
Consequently, Gulf nations are actively considering truck-mounted gun systems and other bullet-based defenses as immediate stopgap solutions to address their urgent security requirements.
