The Saudi Arabian Military Industries-L3Harris joint venture has signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabian maritime firm Zamil Shipyards to boost local engineering capability and advance artificial intelligence-enabled autonomous vessels. The deal aligns with Riyadh’s General Authority for Military Industries program, which supports domestic industries.
According to Dave Johnson, vice president at L3Harris International and vice chairman at SAMI L3Harris, the agreement demonstrates the company’s commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s plans to develop autonomous vehicle technologies. “In cooperation with Zamil Shipyards, we are positioned to transform maritime surveillance and mission execution by leveraging our joint venture and local industrial capabilities,” he said.
Under the agreement, Zamil will lead the design and construction of autonomous maritime platforms and SAMI L3Harris will provide its autonomous systems, sensors and mission system solutions. Alastair Bisset, general manager at Zamil Shipyards, said that through the effort they will aim to produce several modular variants capable of providing surveillance and preventative capabilities. The two companies expect to culminate the partnership within 2025 with a series of on-water demonstrations that showcase the capabilities of the vessels.
The SAMI L3Harris joint venture seeks to localize advanced communication, sensor and integrated mission systems capabilities to support Saudi Arabia’s security policies.