Royal Saudi Armed Forces

[Khafee]

Qasef 1 are loitering munitions yes, but they are very small and primitive drones based on Ababil drones - which were Iran's very first drones developed in the 1980s! [I don't want to divert this topic so I will make a new thread]

Probably the size of them was the issue combined with KSA south regions being huge and sparsely populated, but for sure lack of SHORADs is a big problem for KSA in my opinion.

Yemen - Civil War

Houthi rebels push reinforcements to south Hodiedah 15 May، 2019 Houthi rebel militia sent more combat reinforcements to the western province Hodiedah. Dozens of Houthi...

world-defense.com

 

[Scorpion]

I have heard only of two drones, 7 seems to be an exaggerated number. We still have no idea about the drones, from when the launch was. It is hard to escape RSAD radars.

 

[Persian Gulf]

I have heard only of two drones, 7 seems to be an exaggerated number. We still have no idea about the drones, from when the launch was. It is hard to escape RSAD radars.

I think it is very possible that Saudi radars detected them (Saudi radar coverage is pretty good and indeed covers all of KSA), but the fact they got through suggests two things to me - (i) lack of effective SHORADs meant KSA could not shoot them down, but this doesn't explain (ii) if radars detected them, they could pass the info to Saudi air force to call jets/helis to shoot them down 'manually' (although in 2016 Israel tried this unsuccessfully with 2 patriot missiles + f-16 failed interception: Israel unsuccessfully tries to intercept drone that breached its airspace, so perhaps it is plausible).

 

[Scorpion]

I think it is very possible that Saudi radars detected them (Saudi radar coverage is pretty good and indeed covers all of KSA), but the fact they got through suggests two things to me - (i) lack of effective SHORADs meant KSA could not shoot them down, but this doesn't explain (ii) if radars detected them, they could pass the info to Saudi air force to call jets/helis to shoot them down 'manually' (although in 2016 Israel tried this unsuccessfully with 2 patriot missiles + f-16 failed interception: Israel unsuccessfully tries to intercept drone that breached its airspace, so perhaps it is plausible).

It could be. Although I still don't believe the drones travelled 800 km all the way to the heart of Saudi Arabia. I still think they were launched from inside the country from a place close to ARAMCO oil facilities.

Saudi defense forces do operate many SHORADs and I expect such sensitive areas to be secured by SHORADs.

 

[Persian Gulf]

It could be. Although I still don't believe the drones travelled 800 km all the way to the heart of Saudi Arabia. I still think they were launched from inside the country from a place close to ARAMCO oil facilities.

Saudi defense forces do operate many SHORADs and I expect such sensitive areas to be secured by SHORADs.

Saudi internal defence is pretty strong, how could Houthis launch it from inside KSA (near the border regions inside KSA maybe, but beyond that I don't know about)?

I don't know of Saudi SHORADs, to my knowledge KSA does not have much high-level SHORAD systems, only the French Crotale from the '70s.

 

[Scorpion]

Saudi internal defence is pretty strong, how could Houthis launch it from inside KSA (near the border regions inside KSA maybe, but beyond that I don't know about)?

I don't know of Saudi SHORADs, to my knowledge KSA does not have much high-level SHORAD systems, only the French Crotale from the '70s.

You think the Houthies has no sleeping cells inside Saudi? We have millions Yemeni living in the country. It only takes a group of four people to assemble and launch the drones.

The Crotale has gone through recent upgrade. I don't think the system is outdated. Saudi Arabia operates others air defense systems too. Forget about shooting down the drones, the question is how did the drones escape radar detection. My answer is that the drones were launched from inside.

 

[Khafee]

Saudi internal defence is pretty strong, how could Houthis launch it from inside KSA (near the border regions inside KSA maybe, but beyond that I don't know about)?

I don't know of Saudi SHORADs, to my knowledge KSA does not have much high-level SHORAD systems, only the French Crotale from the '70s.

Croatle Shahine Mk3- the latest version.

 

[Persian Gulf]

You think the Houthies has no sleeping cells inside Saudi? We have millions Yemeni living in the country. It only takes a group of four people to assemble and launch the drones.

The Crotale has gone through recent upgrade. I don't think the system is outdated. Saudi Arabia operates others air defense systems too. Forget about shooting down the drones, the question is how did the drones escape radar detection. My answer is that the drones were launched from inside.

I would not think the Houthis can launch a drone from inside KSA, even though it is quite a small and primitive drone, it is still quite advanced for the standards of non-state-actors (especially if it a loitering munition variant).

It is possible that the drone evaded radar, Israeli loitering munitions in Syria have been a nightmare for Syrian AD (which is relatively advanced and much more concentrated than in KSA).

Hopefully we find more news about this soon.

About SHORADs and Crotale, I can only find online that Saudi ordered the R460 SICA (Shahine) in the '90s, but nothing about the latest Mk.3 - is there a source I can read for the Mk.3? Thanks

 

[Khafee]

I would not think the Houthis can launch a drone from inside KSA, even though it is quite a small and primitive drone, it is still quite advanced for the standards of non-state-actors (especially if it a loitering munition variant).

It is possible that the drone evaded radar, Israeli loitering munitions in Syria have been a nightmare for Syrian AD (which is relatively advanced and much more concentrated than in KSA).

Hopefully we find more news about this soon.

About SHORADs and Crotale, I can only find online that Saudi ordered the R460 SICA (Shahine) in the '90s, but nothing about the latest Mk.3 - is there a source I can read for the Mk.3? Thanks

Try looking for it in french media outlets. It should be there.

 

[Scorpion]

RSAF Eurofighter Typhoon

 

[Khafee]

RSAF Eurofighter Typhoon

View attachment 7341

WOW!!!

 

[Timsah]

first MH-60R for RSN

 

[Timsah]

National Guard soldiers

 

[Scorpion]

Typhoon stationed in King Khalid Air Base!!!! Very unusual.?

 

[Khafee]

Saudi crown prince visits S. Korea's weapons development agency

South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) shakes hands with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia during their meeting at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on June 26, 2019. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, June 27 (Yonhap) -- Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia visited South Korea's weapons development agency on Thursday and voiced hopes of building a similar entity in his country, a source has said.

Prince Mohammed, who also serves as deputy prime minister and minister of defense, is in Seoul for a two-day visit that began Wednesday.

During the visit to the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) in South Korea's central city of Daejeon, the prince was briefed on the overall status of the agency and looked around major facilities, including armament research and testing labs, according to the source

"Saudi Arabia appears to be mulling establishing an agency for weapons research and development similar to the ADD," the source said, adding the Middle Eastern country holds a good impression of South Korea in its development of self-defense capabilities and has a strong will to follow suit

The Saudi prince also viewed South Korea's major indigenous weapons that were on display, such as self-propelled K9 howitzers, K2 battle tanks and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, the source noted

Established in 1970 to establish self-reliant national defense, the ADD has been at the center of developing the country's key military technologies and weapons portfolios

Saudi Arabia is South Korea's biggest trading partner in the Middle East and the No. 1 crude oil exporter to Asia's fourth-largest economy.

Saudi crown prince visits S. Korea's weapons development agency | Yonhap News Agency