Ballistic missiles 'keywords' at Paris Air Show as Israel-Iran conflict looms large
The Israel-Iran conflict loomed large over the Paris Air Show this week, accelerating talks on defence products and forcing airlines to suspend routes to the Middle East.
The conflict brought a sense of urgency to the defence discussions at the event, which showcases the latest technology in defence and commercial aviation.
'Because of the geopolitical context and what is currently happening in the [Middle East] and a bit in Europe, a keyword here is ballistic and anti-ballistic [missiles],' Hervé Dammann, executive vice president of land and air systems at Thales, told The National on the sidelines of the show.
'How can we make sure our countries are protected well enough against ballistic and hypersonic threats – the two kinds of missiles that are currently believed to be in use in the Middle East? This is really the key topic of discussion: What do you need to detect, what do you need to intercept and which kind of system can be used.
'The mood here is the need to accelerate and implement those kind of capabilities. For the industry, it means that we need to be agile and ramp up production capacity. We need to find ways to accelerate putting solutions in the market, maybe in an incremental approach rather than waiting for having developed a full solution,' Mr Dammann said.
In response to increasing customer demand, Thales has tripled the production of sensors in radars and quadrupled the production of effectors, he said.
'We are continuing to invest in support of the higher demand requests we have coming from many [ministries of defence], whether in the Middle East or in Europe or in Asia,' the Thales executive said.
On the first day of the show, France's move to shut down the main Israeli company stands for refusing to remove attack weapons from display sparked a furious response from Israel.
The show, which ends on Friday, displayed cutting-edge military technology and staged flight demonstrations that ripped through Le Bourget's blue skies. They were also a stark reminder of military capabilities used to deadly effect thousands of kilometres away in Tehran and Israel.
'We see it more as citizens at the moment: it is extremely worrying to see tensions and escalation in this region of the world,' Jean-Brice Dumont, head of air power at Airbus Defence and Space, said at a press briefing during the air show.
'For ethical reasons, I would say we refrain from making business interpretation out of it. Now, it is true that it is one more sign of an escalation somewhere in the world, which, overall, in military volumes, is leading the volumes up.'
The European plane maker is pursuing potential new buyers, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, for its A400M military transport aircraft.
Mr Dumont said there are 'quite intense' discussions with the UAE's air force, Tawazun and defence entities in the government.
'The discussions are very, very constructive,' he said. 'Now, it's a competition. The one who's going to win will be the supplier of the mobility of the future for the UAE. We believe we have the right solution, having an aircraft that is the strategic and tactical one.'
Flight disruptions
In the skies beyond Le Bourget airport, some US airlines began suspending daily flights to Gulf countries amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
American Airlines on Thursday suspended daily flights from Philadelphia to Doha until June 22. United Airlines temporarily halted services between its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Dubai and aims to resume 'when it's safe', according to its website.
American Airlines' move comes after the US embassy in Qatar advised its personnel and US citizens in the country to 'keep a low profile' and 'stay alert' at locations publicly associated with the US.
'Out of an abundance of caution and in light of ongoing regional hostilities, the US Embassy has advised its personnel to exercise increased vigilance and has temporarily restricted access to Al Udeid Air Base. We recommend that US citizens in Qatar take similar precautions,' it said in a statement on its website.
The US airlines' flight suspensions are the first disruptions on the doorstep of some of the region's busiest air hubs. Previous flight suspensions were limited to Israel, the countries surrounding it and the airspace above countries where Iranian missiles pass.
Dubai and Doha are home to Emirates and Qatar Airways that use their strategic locations for long-haul travel, connecting passengers between the US, Europe and Asia.
Emirates has suspended all flights to Amman and Beirut until June 22. Flight suspensions to Tehran, Baghdad and Basra will continue until June 30.
Elsewhere, Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier flyadeal said it is experiencing only minimal disruptions.
'We've not had any significant impact as a result of airspace closure in parts of the region. While our flights to and from Amman have been cancelled until further notice, operationally, we're only experiencing minor disruptions with changes to flight routings on a few services to avoid the affected areas,' Steven Greenway, flyadeal's chief executive, told The National.
'With the upcoming peak summer season, we are preparing for a busy flying programme that will maximise our fleet utilisation.'
The Israel-Iran attacks are the latest global conflict to ratchet up airlines' security concerns, while weighing on their operations and profitability.
Airlines are grappling with airspace closures, threats from missiles, drones and GPS jamming.
'The big topics that we are facing is the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), so we see more and more … areas where the signal is not available or is spoofed,' Denis Bonnet, head of innovation research and technology at Thales, told reporters.
'We are working very hard with our [original equipment manufacturers] to make sure that we are more resilient to this … so it's becoming safer and safer.'
The number of global positioning system (GPS) signal loss events increased by 220 per cent between 2021 and 2024, according to International Air Transport Association data.
It is 'difficult to see this trend reversing in the near term', Iata said in a statement this week.
Thales' flight management system, installed on more than 7,000 planes and cumulating more than 100 million flight hours, allows pilots to modify the flight trajectory quickly and simply, Mr Bonnet said.
'The capability we try to bring to airlines is to detect those threat areas and modify the trajectory … usually we prefer to do this before take-off,' he said.
Another key topic is the use of satellite communications onboard aircraft, particularly in remote areas.
'When there is this huge tension between Israel and Iran, a lot of aircraft has to be re-routed and [satellite communications] have been absolutely vital to connect the crew in areas that are not really well covered by connectivity,' Mr Bonnet said.
Airbus aircraft orders
This Paris Air Show was unusually subdued following Air India's Boeing 787 crash, which created a sombre mood and kept Boeing's leadership away to focus on the accident investigation.
Airbus secured firm orders for 142 aircraft. This does not include the six Airbus A350-900 announced by Egyptair at the show as this was a previously unidentified customer on Airbus' previous order reports. It also recorded 102 provisional orders that would increase its haul if airline customers choose to exercise those options.
The firm orders are worth $14.2 billion including Egyptair's deal, plus 102 provisional orders worth $6.7 billion, Reuters reported, citing estimated delivery prices from UK-based Cirium Ascend.
The air show is usually a hard-fought competition between the duopoly of plane makers.
But Boeing had a quiet show as it chose to postpone any commercial announcements following the Air India crash just a few days before the expo.
The 787 Dreamliner crashed in the Indian city of Ahmedabad shortly after take-off on June 12, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and at least 30 more people on the ground.
Air India's Boeing plane was 'well-maintained' before it crashed a week ago, AFP reported, citing an airline statement on Thursday.
Indian authorities have yet to reveal the cause of the crash as investigators work to retrieve data from the plane's black boxes – the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
12 minutes ago
- The National
Has Europe given Iran an impossible nuclear ultimatum?
European negotiators have insisted Iran must accept that it cannot enrich uranium as part of its nuclear programme, so that peace can return to the Middle East, experts told The National. It is understood that Iran has been agreeable to limiting enrichment to 3.67 per cent, which is the standard level required for civilian nuclear reactors and was part of the previous nuclear agreement. But even this amount is unacceptable to the three European countries, Britain, France and Germany, currently holding talks with Iran in Geneva. 'The Europeans have now started insisting on zero as well, which the Iranians have said is going to be a non-starter,' said Darya Dolzikova, an expert on nuclear proliferation at the Rusi think tank. Iran has engaged in years of brinkmanship by defying international inspectors to enrich uranium to near weapons-grade level. Until the Israeli attacks of the last week, the threat of an assault on its installations seemed to have 'lacked some credibility for the Iranians'. In recent days the regime has appeared to accept the 3.67 per cent figure as a negotiating position, the same amount agreed under the 2015 JCPOA nuclear agreement. For any deal to last it will have to be signed off by US President Donald Trump who has also insisted on zero enrichment, said Richard Pater, director of Bicom, the Anglo-Israeli think tank. 'It all depends on whether 3.67 is acceptable to Trump or whether he's insisting on no enrichment whatsoever,' he said. 'But it's also this question of whether Trump will accept that [3.67 per cent] to get the big peace deal that he wants. Israel will then have no choice but to acquiesce to the American position.' Ms Dolzikova also argued that the Iranians would not agree to a deal that 'doesn't involve the United States as they are the critical players'. But Israel itself has insisted that it will not back down until Iran completely ends its nuclear programme and has made clear that any uranium enrichment on Iranian soil is something that it will not accept. Hasan Al Hasan, a nuclear expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, suggested that the 3.67 per cent figure was now redundant as 'there is no indication that Israel is in a mood to negotiate'. Having achieved near total freedom of action in the skies, Israel was likely to 'press ahead with its maximalist war objectives of eliminating Iran's nuclear and missile programmes and perhaps even regime change'. He added that Mr Trump's announcement that he would make no decision on joining the attacks - that would benefit from America's massive bunker-busting bombs - for the next two weeks was a signal for Israel to 'get the job done' in that period. But there is also a question whether within that fortnight window Israel, without US bombs, has the capability to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities. 'Israel is obviously probably more bullish right now and looking for the removal of the whole nuclear project in its entirety, but it remains to be seen whether that's in their gift,' said Ms Dolzikova. There is also a fear that if 3.67 per cent is agreed by Iran then it might in secret enrich uranium, and conduct a nuclear weaponisation programme viewing it as the only effective deterrent. 'If the regime survives this, then 3.67 per cent gives them another basis with which to start again,' said Mr Pater. 'Israel is under no illusion the Iranians given the chance, will do it all over again.'
Zawya
14 minutes ago
- Zawya
Saudi: New SAMA rules limit credit card fees: 3% cash withdrawal, 2% foreign purchases, free e-wallet top-ups
RIYADH — The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) announced on Thursday updated rules for the issuance and operation of credit cards, aimed at lowering costs for customers and increasing levels of disclosure and transparency. The new regulations will take effect within 30 to 90 days. Among the key updates, credit card issuers must notify customers of any changes in fees via SMS, with customers allowed to terminate their agreement within 14 days of receiving the notice. E-wallet top-ups via credit cards are now free of charge. For cash withdrawals below SR2,500, fees are capped at 3% of the transaction amount. For withdrawals of SR2,500 or more, fees are limited to a maximum of SR75. International purchases will now carry a 2% fee of the transaction value. Customers are also permitted to deposit additional amounts above their credit limit and withdraw them at any time without incurring charges. SAMA worked with global payment companies to assess and reduce associated transaction costs, as part of its mission to enhance Saudi Arabia's digital payment ecosystem and provide a diverse array of payment options for customers and visitors. Transparency measures now require issuers to notify customers immediately of any financial transactions and to send account statements via SMS. Issuers must also provide tools for customers to estimate rewards and international charges before making a purchase. Regarding repayment, customers may pay off their full outstanding balance without incurring late fees, with a mandatory grace period of at least 25 days. The regulations also unify disclosure templates for all fees, charges, and benefits within credit card agreements, promoting greater clarity for consumers. Previously, cash withdrawals carried fees of SR75 for transactions up to SR5,000 and 3% of the transaction amount for amounts over SR5,000, with a maximum fee of SR300. The new cap of SR75 for larger transactions offers more favorable terms. International transactions are now subject to a clear 2% fee, and additional charges include SR25 for invalid transaction disputes and account statement requests. © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
14 minutes ago
- Zawya
Mohammed bin Rashid announces changes to UAE government
Following consultations and approval of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, announced today changes to the UAE government. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said, 'Following consultations with my brother, His Highness the President, and with his approval, we announce today changes to the UAE government as follows: establishment of a Ministry of Foreign Trade in the UAE government and appointment of Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi as Minister of Foreign Trade, and renaming the Ministry of Economy to Ministry of Economy and Tourism led by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri.' He added, 'We also announce that the National Artificial Intelligence System will be adopted as an advisory member in the Council of Ministers, the Ministerial Development Council, and all boards of federal entities and government companies starting from January 2026 to support decision-making in these councils, conduct real-time analyses of their decisions, provide technical advice, and enhance the efficiency of government policies adopted by these councils across all sectors.' His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said, "The world is undergoing a comprehensive transformation phase… scientifically... economically... and socially... our goal is to prepare today for the coming decades... our goal is to ensure continued prosperity and dignified life for future generations."
