Saudi Arabia a large military power in the region against Islamic State fighters. | World Defense

Saudi Arabia a large military power in the region against Islamic State fighters.

Scorpion

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Saudi Arabia a large military power in the region against Islamic State fighters.

The presence of the Islamic State group on Saudi Arabia’s border with Iraq has been the Saudi government's chief worry in recent months, bringing into sharp focus the important role that the country’s large, well-armed military will play under new King Salman. Saudi’s cooperation in the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes against ISIS in Syria has reawakened a powerful military that has not fought since 1991.

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Royal Saudi Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft at Malta - photo Gordon Zammit

Despite years of peace, Saudi Arabia has maintained a large and powerful military that is regarded among the top five most advanced in the world, according to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) report.

Funded from vast oil revenue, Saudi Arabia’s military is a highly advanced mix of Western-bought hardware, primarily from the U.S., France and the United Kingdom. According to the Sipri report, Saudi Arabia devoted around $67 billion to its military in 2013, around 9.3 percent of its GDP, up from $58 billion the previous year. That makes the Sunni kingdom the biggest spender on defense in the world as a percentage of the economy. In absolute terms, it's the seventh-biggest spender, with more money devoted to weapons than India.

Against ISIS, the military has so far only employed its substantial air force, which has over 300 aircraft, including newly acquired Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets made in Europe. To bomb ISIS, Saudi has used the American-made Boeing F-15 Eagle, a plane exported only to the most trusted American allies such as Israel and Japan.

But with Islamic State fighters probing the borders in the north of the country, the Saudi army is also likely to come into play, even if it's just used as a deterrent. That, too, is a formidable force, with over 150,000 men in active service, making it larger that the French and British armies.

The Saudi armed forces consists of the Saudi Arabian Army, the Royal Saudi Air Force, the Royal Saudi Navy, the Royal Saudi Air Defense, the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG), and paramilitary forces, totaling over 200,000 active-duty personnel.

The combat strength of the Saudi Army consists of 3 armoured brigades, 5 mechanized infantry brigades, three light motorized rifle brigades, and one airborne brigade. It also has five independent artillery battalions and an aviation command.

The air force is organized in seven fighter/ground-attack squadrons, six fighter squadrons, and seven training squadrons. Saudi Arabia has at least 15 active military airfields. Saudi Arabia has around 300 combat aircraft. The kingdom's combat aircraft are newly acquired Eurofighter Typhoons and upgraded Tornado IDS, F-15 Eagle and F-15E Strike Eagle fighter planes. Saudi Arabia has a further 80+ F-15 Eagles on order and an option to buy another 72 Eurofighter Typhoons.
 

orangesunset

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Saudi like Pakistan is in a bad position, both countries governments are US allies, but their population is ProIslamic. If they take too hard of a stance against ISIS they risk getting over thrown by thier population. Pakistan had a similar problem with the Taliban.

The danger is that the Saudi military might mutiny and join forces with ISIS if Saudi takes too hard of a stance.
 

Scorpion

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Saudi like Pakistan is in a bad position, both countries governments are US allies, but their population is ProIslamic. If they take too hard of a stance against ISIS they risk getting over thrown by thier population. Pakistan had a similar problem with the Taliban.

The danger is that the Saudi military might mutiny and join forces with ISIS if Saudi takes too hard of a stance.

Woot..:eek: Saudi People are well aware of ISIS and see it nothing but a terrorist organization. The Saudi Air force is part of the military coalition against ISIS. I don't know what risk are you talking about. The Religious establishment also voiced high criticism against ISIS
 

Redheart

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Saudi like Pakistan is in a bad position, both countries governments are US allies, but their population is Pro-Islamic. If they take too hard of a stance against ISIS they risk getting over thrown by their population. Pakistan had a similar problem with the Taliban.

The danger is that the Saudi military might mutiny and join forces with ISIS if Saudi takes too hard of a stance.
Saudi Arabia has been bombing ISIS for a while now both in Iraq and Syria. Why hasn't the military mutinied yet? Fact is no one likes ISIS which is why even terrorist groups are fighting them. And they also issued this threat:
. . . ISIS sees Mecca and its worship of the Kaaba as idolatry. It has also threatened to kill any it finds near the Kaaba, or who have "rubbed the stone".
I believe should they decide to turn their attention to Saudi Arabia, this time, they'll have made the one mistake that will bring about their abrupt destruction.
 

orangesunset

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Woot..:eek: Saudi People are well aware of ISIS and see it nothing but a terrorist organization. The Saudi Air force is part of the military coalition against ISIS. I don't know what risk are you talking about. The Religious establishment also voiced high criticism against ISIS

The military might mutiny and overthrow the government. That is what happened in Libya, Russia and countless other places. The French Foreign Legion is having problems with some of its members deserting and joining ISIS. The French Foreign Legion is one of the most elite units in the world.
 

Redheart

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Unless there are hundreds of thousands of Saudi Arabian troops who embrace the extremist ideals of terrorists a mutiny is out of question. Quite obviously Baghdadi and group are hoping they have supporters inside Saudi Arabia who'll destabilize the government thereby making it easy for them to swoop in but I doubt that he has enough loyalists within the army for them to stand a chance should they mutiny/attempt to overthrow the government.
 

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I'm glad that Saudi Arabia has now participated in the war against terrorism. Though patriarchal and a bit conservative in their Islam practices, it's refreshing to know they don't condone terrorist actions. They always prioritize their domestic affairs - especially the growth of their economy - more than anything else. Saudi doesn't want the terrorists to take advantage of their resources for free.
 

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This is really a great news, merging of the two sturdy countries against two terrorists. If this still won't be effective, I don't know anymore what will. This is should be enough to bring those terrorists down to their knees and have them regret on the crimes that they did, their inhumanity. They should be punished and not just simply die.
 
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