Kuwait has agreed to purchase a 370-million-pound ($490.5 million) air defense system from British defense technology firm MARSS to protect its territory from unmanned aerial system incursions.
A subsidiary of Australia’s Electro Optic Systems, the company will deploy a network of electro-optical, radar, and sonar sensors linked to its proprietary NiDAR platform.
The artificial intelligence-driven command and control suite consolidates tracking data and assesses multi-domain threats from air and sea while optimizing response times.
The capability provides operators with layered defeat options, combining soft-kill electronic jammers with hard-kill interceptors.
“Countering drones and aerial threats is not about any single system,” MARSS CEO Johannes Pinl stated. “It is about an intelligent, layered architecture that detects, decides and defeats within seconds, and MARSS has built exactly that.”
“Over the coming 24 months, MARSS will integrate the sensors and effectors that protect Kuwait’s people, critical infrastructure and national assets.”
Demonstrating Regional Commitment
London noted that the contract compounds broader efforts under the NATO government’s Task Force Sabre, which coordinates weapons and equipment distribution to defense partners in the Gulf.
That initiative was established in response to Iran’s ongoing missile and drone barrages amid the greater Middle East war involving the US and Israel.
Economically, the Kuwait project will support 100 engineering and manufacturing roles at MARSS’ plant in Bristol and across its domestic supply chain in the UK.
“This deal is a clear demonstration of the UK delivering on its promise to support our regional partners,” UK Defence Readiness and Industry Minister Luke Pollard said.
“By backing Kuwait with world-leading British technology, we’re not just strengthening a vital ally’s defences against real and growing threats. We’re creating skilled jobs here at home and proving that UK industry can deliver when it matters most.”
