Saudi Arabia is rapidly expanding its naval aviation power with a groundbreaking purchase of four C-27J transport aircraft configured for advanced maritime patrol and strike missions. Unlike standard cargo aircraft, these new platforms will be equipped with torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and depth charges, giving Riyadh a formidable anti-submarine and surface warfare capability. Reported exclusively by Defence News, this deal makes Saudi Arabia the first nation to adopt the C-27J in such a heavily armed naval role. The move comes as Middle East tensions surge, with Iran’s IRGC Navy declaring a 24/7 surveillance “lockdown” over the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint carrying nearly one-fifth of the world’s daily oil supply.