CNN Exclusive: US intel and satellite images show Saudi Arabia is now building its own ballistic missiles with help of China

[ChineseTiger1986]

Rumored inventory (most confirmed)

Type: DF-3A

• Max range: 2800 to 4000 km
• Length: 24 m
• Diameter: 2.24 m
• Weight: 64 tons

Type: DF-M1

• Range: 1900 to 2500 km
• Height: 18.5 m
• Diameter: 1.25 m

Type: CSS-5

• Range: 4000 to 5500 km

Type: CSS-6

• Range: 5000 to 6500 km

Type: DF-11

• Range: 900 to 1500 km

In addition to the old missiles CSS-2


Type: DF-31

• - Range: 6000 to 11000 km

Pakistani medium range missiles

Type: Ghauri

• Range: 1100 to 2300 km

Type: Shaheen-2

• Range: 2000 to 2200 km

Ukrainian short-range missile

type: Grom-2

• Range: 50-550 km

View attachment 814509


In addition to secret indigenous missiles of which only rumors surface for now.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1473997803382788104

A very telling tweet from a former US ambassador to Bahrain.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1474286995669241862

View attachment 814510

In other news:

Biden promised a harder line on Saudi Arabia. Why can’t he deliver?​

Biden promised a harder line on Saudi Arabia. Why can’t he deliver?

Biden hasn’t met with MBS directly, but he’s done little else to stop the crown prince’s human rights abuses.

www.vox.com

Nothing can stop KSA pursuing its interests and it is impossible to sanction KSA unlike other weaker regional entities.

So the DF-31 is already in the inventory of the RSSMF?

I guess it should be the newest DF-31AG as the production of the older models has already been discontinued for many years.

Also the 8-axle TEL of the DF-31AG is more suitable to travel within the landscape of the KSA.

 

[The SC]

The DF-16 (CSS-11) is still the most important one as an MRBM for its RV's versatility..

 

[Sineva]

Saudis get caught bullsh!ting about "iranian missiles" in yemen....

https://twitter.com/x/status/1492248820134072322

 

[ArabianEmpires&Caliphates]

Saudis get caught bullsh!ting about "iranian missiles" in yemen....

https://twitter.com/x/status/1492248820134072322

Did you know that Arabs taught Farsis missile technology as Arabs pioneered this technology among Muslims closely following the end of WW2? Speaking about missiles. I suggest reading about the Syrian and Libyan assistance. Or earlier Egyptian and Iraqi programs (decades before Iran even knew what a missile was).

Also what the hell does this have to do with the Saudi Arabian ballistic missile program? Do you want me to quote Iranian propaganda online? I could do nothing else 24/7 if I wanted to show it all.

Welcome back, have not seen you in a long time, nice surprise.

I watch that Yusuf guy too just for the entertainment. He is really funny.

Thank you for the welcome brother. Great to see you well and still around on PDF. Hardly any Arab brothers are left for well-known reasons. Online forums are also dying which does not help.

It has been almost 2 years, lol. Time flies by so fast. I was incredibly busy with family life, work, some traveling and the whole COVID-19 pandemic. Recently remembered PDF and wanted to see what is going on. I have not really been following any geopolitical events in the Arab world either. It seems that the world has been on somekind of a standby due to COVID-19 in this sense.

Yes, there are a lot of those experts. Some of them are hilarious indeed.

So the DF-31 is already in the inventory of the RSSMF?

I guess it should be the newest DF-31AG as the production of the older models has already been discontinued for many years.

Also the 8-axle TEL of the DF-31AG is more suitable to travel within the landscape of the KSA.

Bro, that has been the case for decades. I have no doubt in my mind that China has been helping with any additional updates and helping increase the shell life. There is very little confirmed information available out there outside what was known 3.5 decades ago and recent developments. Anyway you can kind of guess that with KSA's financial power, political will, friendly ties with numerous knowledgeable countries (in this regard), the RSSMF have not been sleeping for the past 35 years.

The KSA (Arab for that matter)-China partnership is strategic. We had a trade balance of 240 billion USD in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

[beijingwalker]

China has some of the best missiles in the world

 

[The SC]

Saudis get caught bullsh!ting about "iranian missiles" in yemen....

https://twitter.com/x/status/1492248820134072322

Bullsh*tting!?

https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/a...-showcase-new-drones-missiles-and-naval-mines

 

[Sineva]

Bullsh*tting!?

https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/a...-showcase-new-drones-missiles-and-naval-mines

Yes,certainly on THAT particular occasion they were very clearly caught bullsh!tting.Oh wait....did you not bother actually reading that tweet I linked to..?
I have no doubt that iran supplies weapons designs,such as entry level military drones and upgrade components for yemeni missiles.However If you have to resort to using footage from a documentary that has nothing to do with iran,indeed it clearly shows us soldiers standing around next to the "iranian missiles",well then this only weakens your claims of iranian weapons supply.
It really makes me wonder why the saudis actually resorted to such a lazy and easily debunked piece of propaganda,that in the end ultimately only served to further embarrass them.

 

[The SC]

"The Intercept", quoting sources: Saudi Arabia is preparing to acquire Chinese ballistic missiles at the end of this month as part of a secret program called "Al-Temsah"
@AsharqNewsBrk


Dong Feng DF-17 is the only one that looks like a crocodile.."Al-Temsah"

 

[Corruptistan]

As someone whose father worked in Saudi Arabia until recently, I can attest to the impressive technological development in Saudi Arabia in recent years, so this news does not surprise me a bit.

I am sure that Pakistan is giving a helping hand besides China.

However I do wonder what the Americans are going to do about this development? Surely sanctions won't work and if the Americans turn hostile, what is the chance of Saudi Arabia going "all in" with China and possibly Russia? The Americans are delusional if they think that the likes of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Turkey etc. will just look at Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and do nothing. Israel already have them after all.

Do we have more details about this development? It is quite frankly huge news.

 

[Brainsucker]

"The Intercept", quoting sources: Saudi Arabia is preparing to acquire Chinese ballistic missiles at the end of this month as part of a secret program called "Al-Temsah"
@AsharqNewsBrk


Dong Feng DF-17 is the only one that looks like a crocodile.."Al-Temsah"

I wonder why China sell their state of the art DF-17 to Saudi? I think it is impossible to be true. Unless DF-17 is not as good as they advertise it; or China has secretly has better missile than DF-17.

 

[Corruptistan]

I wonder why China sell their state of the art DF-17 to Saudi? I think it is impossible to be true. Unless DF-17 is not as good as they advertise it; or China has secretly has better missile than DF-17.

Doubtful, I agree, but on the other hand why is China so close to Saudi Arabia militarily? To the point of the news that this thread is covering?

There is of course the huge trade/money/oil/gas/minerals involved and Saudi Arabia's strategic geopolitical location and clout in the Arab world (that China is expanding in economically, politically and militarily) but something else is at play here.

Is China looking to replace the US long-term?

I can't believe that this is not much more talked about. This opens up for a potentially nuclear armed Saudi Arabia. Maybe even with ICBM in the future?

The House of Saud are not stupid. They have been around as a constant for 300 years (unlike everyone else in the region in that time) and they must have noticed what happened with the likes of Gaddafi, Libya, Saddam and Iraq. With their capital, connections etc., I think that they are prepared for everything, hence this development. With MBS around this thinking is just multiplied. This is how I see it at least.

What intrigues me is what China gets out of all this?

 

[The SC]

Doubtful, I agree, but on the other hand why is China so close to Saudi Arabia militarily? To the point of the news that this thread is covering?

There is of course the huge trade/money/oil/gas/minerals involved and Saudi Arabia's strategic geopolitical location and clout in the Arab world (that China is expanding in economically, politically and militarily) but something else is at play here.

Is China looking to replace the US long-term?

I can't believe that this is not much more talked about. This opens up for a potentially nuclear armed Saudi Arabia. Maybe even with ICBM in the future?

The House of Saud are not stupid. They have been around as a constant for 300 years (unlike everyone else in the region in that time) and they must have noticed what happened with the likes of Gaddafi, Libya, Saddam and Iraq. With their capital, connections etc., I think that they are prepared for everything, hence this development. With MBS around this thinking is just multiplied. This is how I see it at least.

What intrigues me is what China gets out of all this?

You have answered your question in your post..it is all true.. add that KSA is building its own weapon industry and getting ToT from all over the world..not only from China..
China has a huge trade with the ME in General and with Saudi Arabia in particular.. they both need to protect that..Just one visit by MBS to China was worth $60 billion in deals..at once..

 

[Corruptistan]

You have answered your question in your post..it is all true.. add that KSA is building its own weapon industry and getting ToT from all over the world..not only from China..
China has a huge trade with the ME in General and with Saudi Arabia in particular.. they both need to protect that..Just one visit by MBS to China was worth $60 billion in deals..at once..

Why have Saudi Arabia not tested any of their missiles? Do they plan to do so?

Is China not supposed to be neutral in the Middle East?

Would Saudi Arabia allow China a military foothold in KSA or the GCC? A military base for example?

 

[PakFactor]

Why have Saudi Arabia not tested any of their missiles? Do they plan to do so?

Is China not supposed to be neutral in the Middle East?

Would Saudi Arabia allow China a military foothold in KSA or the GCC? A military base for example?

Why would it not? Diversification can't put all eggs in one basket.

 

[Corruptistan]

Why would it not? Diversification can't put all eggs in one basket.

Yes, but if Saudi Arabia has had access to Chinese missiles for at least 35 years and now access to locally produced ballistic missile technology and missile technology in general, why have they not tested any of their missiles like say Iran has?

It makes sense to diversify, I am just curious how deep the China-Saudi Arabia ties are as this is rather huge news geopolitically speaking. I am curious if the USA can/will make a fuss about this. Why did they not block the sale of all those highly advanced Chinese missiles (at the time in the 1980's) in the first place?

MBS and Biden don't seem to like each other either. I am curious what will happen long-term and whether or not China will try to gain a real foothold in the Middle East. Militarily speaking as well.

Anyway I am 100% sure that we (Pakistan) are helping Saudi Arabia and involved somehow.