5 Saudi Weapons of War Iran Should Fear | World Defense

5 Saudi Weapons of War Iran Should Fear

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5 Saudi Weapons of War Iran Should Fear

Dave Majumdar
January 4, 2016


With tensions flaring between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the specter of a war between the two powers is once again on the rise.

In recent days, Saudi Arabia has severed diplomatic ties with Tehran after Riyadh’s embassy was set ablaze on Saturday by an angry mob. The protesters were enraged after Saudi Arabia executed forty-seven prisoners—including a top Shia cleric by the name of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. The cleric—who had been arrested several times—often called for the Eastern Province to secede from the kingdom.

However, al-Nimr’s execution has exacerbated tensions in the region between Riyadh and Tehran. That’s because the ruling House of Saud has positioned itself as the champion of Sunni Islam while Iran is a Shia-majority country that has made moves in recent years to increase its influence in Iraq and Syria. If it comes to a war between the two rival powers, Riyadh’s wealth and close alliance with Western powers has seen to it that Saudi forces are lavishly equipped with some of the best weapons money can buy.

Here are five Saudi weapons Iran should fear.



Boeing F-15 Eagle


RSAF-15.jpg



Given its vast oil-wealth, Saudi Arabia has bought some of the most advanced weapons in the world. Nowhere is this more visible than the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF), which operates top-of-the-line fighters including a large fleet of F-15s—both the C/D air-to-air version and the multirole Strike Eagle variant.

RSAF currently operates a fleet of eighty-six F-15C/D Eagle air superiority fighters—which are more than a match for anything Tehran has in its inventory. But Saudi Arabia also has seventy F-15S Strike Eagle multirole fighter-bombers—which can hit targets deep inside Iran.

But those Strike Eagles are soon to be upgraded to the advanced F-15SA standard, which includes a new APG-63 (v) 3 active electronically scanned array radars, new electronic warfare systems and other new sensors. The modified jets will also receive a new fly-by-wire control system that will enable the Eagle’s long dormant outer wing weapons stations to be activated.

The RSAF is also in the process of adding eighty-four new-build F-15SA Strike Eagles to its fleet.



Eurofighter Typhoon

Eurofighter Typhoon  SAUDI .jpg


Saudi Arabia has purchased seventy-two Typhoon fighters from the Eurofighter consortium. The European jet is an extremely formidable air-to-air fighter, but also packs a potent air-to-ground punch.

It’s not clear how many of Saudi Arabia’s Typhoons have been delivered. But most estimates suggest that more than half the contracted number of jets have entered service with the RSAF. Unlike most previous contracts with the Saudi kingdom, the majority of the aircraft are being assembled locally from kits.

The Typhoon would be able to complement the RSAF’s F-15 fleet during an active conflict with Iran.



Boeing AH-64D Apache


Boeing AH-64D Apache  saudi.jpg


Like its air force counterpart, the Royal Saudi Land Forces are lavishly equipped. One of its most potent weapons is the powerful Boeing AH-64D Apache helicopter—of which Saudi Arabia has eighty-two.

The Apache was originally designed in the late 1970s for the U.S. Army to blunt a potential Soviet armored offensive in central Europe. During the first Gulf War, the original AH-64A devastated Iraqi armored forces. But the helicopter did not perform quite as well during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Saddam’s forces had adapted. An Apache battalion was badly mauled during an encounter with the Republican Guard’s Medina division—losing one Apache outright, while the rest of the unit was severely damaged.



Nonetheless, the Apache was an invaluable tool during the occupation of Iraq—and continues to operate there in the fight against ISIS. Used properly, the Apache is a formidable weapon against enemy ground forces.



M1A2 Abrams

M1A2 Abrams RSLF.jpg


Saudi ground forces are also equipped with the powerful M1A2S Abrams main battle tank. While not equipped with depleted uranium as part of their armor matrix like U.S. Army tanks, the Saudi’s Abrams are formidable tanks. Indeed, the Saudi tanks are very similar to the U.S. Army’s M1A2 SEP standard—which means the vehicles feature advanced information and networking systems.

Firepower comes from a German-developed 120mm L/44 M256A1 smoothbore cannon with forty-two rounds. A single .50-caliber machine gun and a pair of 7.62 mm M240 machine guns augment the main gun.

Overall, the Abrams is more than a match for any tank Iran can field. If the Abrams has a weakness, it is its fuel hungry and maintenance intensive Honeywell AGT1500C gas turbine engine that delivers 1,500 shp. The tank’s power to weight ratio is about 23.8 hp/t.

Saudi Arabia has about 442 Abrams in its inventory.



Al Riyadh-class Frigate

Riyadh class.jpg


Based on DCN’s La Fayette-class, Saudi Arabia’s thee Al Riyadh-class frigates are designed to for anti-air warfare and are about twenty-five percent larger than their French progenitors.

The ships carry a pair of eight-cell vertical launch systems for Aster 15 surface-to-air missiles, which can attack aircraft at ranges of about 20 miles at altitudes up to 50,000 feet. The vessels also carry eight MBDA Exocet MM40 Block II anti-ship missiles.

An Oto Melara 76/62 canon and pair two 20mm guns round out the vessels’ anti-surface armament. Anti-submarines weapons include the DCNS F17 anti-submarine torpedo.

The ships are heavily armed for their 4,500-ton displacement, but have a maximum speed of about 24.5 knots.
 

Susimi

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They have got some serious equipment in their arsenal, and the numbers of them are just outstanding. I realised they had F-15's but I did not realise how many they had, and it also surprises me that they have Typhoons in such large numbers.

What does Iran have in comparison? The only thing I know for certain is that they are still fielding their F-14's equipped with a copy of the Phoenix long range air-to-air missile.
 

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They have got some serious equipment in their arsenal, and the numbers of them are just outstanding. I realised they had F-15's but I did not realise how many they had, and it also surprises me that they have Typhoons in such large numbers.

What does Iran have in comparison? The only thing I know for certain is that they are still fielding their F-14's equipped with a copy of the Phoenix long range air-to-air missile.

Iran has an outdated airforce and naval forces. Iran depends on human waves tactic. It also has missile force but Saudi Arabia have the capability to intercept every Iranian missile using PAC-3 and THAAD. Missiles are not a good option during wars. They inflict no threatening harm. They can be used to decrease the moral of the enemy.
 

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I also think that Iran would be no match to Saudi's resources. Aside from the modern weaponry and the vast wealth of Saudi, it also has connections to non-Islamic countries that is a force to reckon when a world war breaks out. So I guess in this war between Iran and Saudi, if it happens, Iran will be at a big disadvantage against the mighty force of Saudi Arabia.
 

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Iran has an outdated airforce and naval forces. Iran depends on human waves tactic. It also has missile force but Saudi Arabia have the capability to intercept every Iranian missile using PAC-3 and THAAD. Missiles are not a good option during wars. They inflict no threatening harm. They can be used to decrease the moral of the enemy.

So if it came down to any sort of war it's highly likely Iran would be over-run very quickly?

I haven't heard much about Iran's forces but I find it a little suprising they haven't bolstered or tried to modernise their military forces.
 

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So if it came down to any sort of war it's highly likely Iran would be over-run very quickly?

I haven't heard much about Iran's forces but I find it a little suprising they haven't bolstered or tried to modernise their military forces.
i have seen some of the "new projects" of Iran and honestly they are a joke. I don't remember its not name at the moment but Iran has a tank destroyer which is based on the BTR-60 Chassis but uses a M48 Patton Tank Turret.
 

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i have seen some of the "new projects" of Iran and honestly they are a joke. I don't remember its not name at the moment but Iran has a tank destroyer which is based on the BTR-60 Chassis but uses a M48 Patton Tank Turret.

Is the armament upgraded at all or is it using the same gun as the M48? That's pretty laughable either way...who in their right mind even thought that that would be a good idea?
 

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The problem is that even though Iran was sanctioned,there were alot of countries ''selling''(setting up an Iranian company in Iran to avoid sanctions with knowhow from the original seller,mainly done by Germany and France) weapons to them,so we never know what they have.
These countries include Russia,China,France,Germany
They know that by showing inferior weapon systems,nobody will take them serious.
 

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What was the thinking behind that? I can't quite work it out. Obviously it's not gonna be used on the front lines but still I just can't work out what they were thinking when they created that.

Would it not have been a better idea to upgrade the M48 some way, or maintain them and then use them in a tank destroyer role?
 

Jaeger

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What was the thinking behind that? I can't quite work it out. Obviously it's not gonna be used on the front lines but still I just can't work out what they were thinking when they created that.

Would it not have been a better idea to upgrade the M48 some way, or maintain them and then use them in a tank destroyer role?
actually they have upgraded their M48 tanks and the tank destroyer will be used in more supplement roles like getting APCs/IFVs into the battlefield.
 

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The problem is that even though Iran was sanctioned,there were alot of countries ''selling''(setting up an Iranian company in Iran to avoid sanctions with knowhow from the original seller,mainly done by Germany and France) weapons to them,so we never know what they have.
These countries include Russia,China,France,Germany
They know that by showing inferior weapon systems,nobody will take them serious.

Can you give us an example of those companies please. If that happened Iran would not have produced the junks you see them unveiling every other week.
 

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Can you give us an example of those companies please. If that happened Iran would not have produced the junks you see them unveiling every other week.
A couple of years ago,it was all over the news.
One of the them was a German defence company(an employee) had bypassed sanctions by ''giving''(selling) the knowhow so that it would look like an indigenous program.
I will have to find the article,its been a while.
@Bundeswehr ,do you know what i mean?




Iran Is *Really* Good at Evading Sanctions - The Tower

French Trade and Sanctions Against Iran
U.S. Economic Sanctions against Iran: Undermined by External Factors | Middle East Policy Council
 

Scorpion

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A couple of years ago,it was all over the news.
One of the them was a German defence company(an employee) had bypassed sanctions by ''giving''(selling) the knowhow so that it would look like an indigenous program.
I will have to find the article,its been a while.
@Bundeswehr ,do you know what i mean?




Iran Is *Really* Good at Evading Sanctions - The Tower

French Trade and Sanctions Against Iran
U.S. Economic Sanctions against Iran: Undermined by External Factors | Middle East Policy Council

I don't think Germany is going to risk giving its tech Iran at all. Its no doubt that Iran found ways to evade sanctions through a third party like Iraq and Lebanon by that only minor. Heavy things like monetary transactions, aviation, petrochemical industrialization, foreign investments, arms deals...etc have not been able to get around sanction.
 
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