- Kuwait’s £370 million contract with MARSS covers radars, electronic jammers and interceptors integrated with the NiDAR command-and-control platform.
- The deal is expected to create 100 UK jobs, with production based in Bristol.
- Integration work is planned through 2027, building on existing UK air defence and counter-drone support in Kuwait.
Announced by the UK Ministry of Defence on 9 October, the contract covers the supply and integration of radars, electronic jammers and interceptors with MARSS’s NiDAR artificial intelligence-enabled command-and-control platform. The system is intended to strengthen Kuwait’s ability to detect and counter airborne threats, including drones and missiles.
The agreement forms part of Taskforce Sabre, a UK initiative bringing together government and industry to help Gulf states procure defence equipment. It follows Iranian missile and drone attacks in the region, which have increased the focus on air defence capabilities.
Production will be based in Bristol, UK, with the contract supporting skilled engineering and manufacturing roles and an expansion of MARSS’s UK operations.
MARSS Chief Executive Johannes Pinl said the system would use an integrated approach to counter aerial threats, combining multiple sensors and response capabilities. He said: “Through 2027, MARSS will integrate the sensors and effectors that protect Kuwait’s people, critical infrastructure and national assets, backed by British engineering and new skilled jobs here in the UK.”
The deal builds on existing UK defence support to Kuwait. This includes the Rapid Sentry ground-based air defence missile system and the Royal Air Force’s ORCUS counter-drone system, which is operating in the country to help personnel detect drones and respond to potential threats.
The contract reinforces the UK’s role as a defence partner to Kuwait and forms part of its wider security engagement with Gulf states.
