Defence Posture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

07.07.2007 KSA

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Saudi Arabia, with its 2.14 Million Km2, and the huge oil reserves of 264 Billion barrels, holds the first place in the world in exporting oil. In the past decades The sector of agriculture made an important progress. The kingdom has strategic coasts stretching 2,500 Km, overlooking the Gulf and the Red Sea.

The kingdom has important religious, political, and economical responsibilities. These responsibilities prompt the rulers of the kingdom to have an effective military defensive force.

Saudi Defence Strategy aims to defend the many precious assets throughout the Kingdom: Electrical installations, purifying seawater installations, oil fields and its related installations, and oil export sea lines.

Saudi Armed Forces (200,000 soldiers) have a highly advanced surveillance system, and an Anti - Ballistic Air Defence system. Saudi Air Force has 244 modern jets.

Saudi Defence Program aims to acquire 51 Abrahms tanks, 124 LAV 8X8 wheeled armoured vehicles. The Navy needs new types of frigates also. Saudi Air Force ordered 72 Typhoon jets, forty eight of which are scheduled to be assembled in a factory near Riyadh. Saudi Air Force would acquire three Airbus transport/tank airplanes, and five E-3 Early Warning planes. Saudi National Guard would be equipped with 261 Tactica 4X4 wheeled vehicles.

Purchase plans include buying 262 helicopters of various types from France and Russia and other sources.

Offset programs in the Kingdom require that all suppliers re-invest 35% of the values of the deals in technologically advanced projects in the kingdom. The most prominent companies involved in Offset programs are:
Lucent Technologies, Boeing, General Electric, General Dynamics, United Technologies, and others. Many companies, such as Advanced Electronics Company, and Al – Salam Aircraft Company (aircraft maintenance), were the result of Offset programs.

 



 
 

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