• Breaking — the capital moves defining 2026

  • Breaking — the capital moves defining 2026

  • Breaking — the capital moves defining 2026

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The US approved a $24.3bn F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia

48 aircraft. For defence investors it signals where Saudi capital is going, and widens the investor universe well beyond funds labelled defence.

Portrait of Anton Bosredon

Managing Partner

3 min read

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What it signals

Who might fit

The sector is only the starting point

The US has approved a potential $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35s to Saudi Arabia.

What it signals

For defence investors, it shows Saudi Arabia is continuing to invest in:

  • Aerospace

  • Air defence

  • Drones and counter-UAS

  • AI and autonomy

  • Sensors and surveillance

That creates a broader investor universe than simply looking for funds labelled defence.

Who might fit

  • An aerospace fund may fit.

  • An AI investor with defence exposure may fit.

  • A deep-tech fund with the right mandate may fit.

  • A strategic investor already active in the Gulf may fit.

The sector is only the starting point

When mapping investors for a defence raise, previous investments, geography, ticket size, mandate and technical thesis can be much stronger signals of fit.

The question is not just who invests in defence. It is who has already invested in something close to what you are building.

Policy & Procurement

Private Equity

Portrait of Anton Bosredon

Written by

Anton Bosredon

Anton is responsible for Vantierr in the UK and US, leading mandates directly and directing the firm's client management.

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