Saudi Arabia announces 20% defence budget increase

[bhangi bava]

Is your username Bhangi because you regularly drink Bhang or is it just a result of being a retard?

no numbnuts bhangi is a name of my native village & bava is what my friend calls me & why ur username is pak sher last time i check lion were extinct in Pakistan lol

 

[Pak_Sher]

no numbnuts bhangi is a name of my native village & bava is what my friend calls me & why ur username is pak sher last time i check lion were extinct in Pakistan lol

Pakistan has both snow leopards and mountain lions. And in my village we eat vegetarians for dinner at night.

 

[Ahmed Jo]

KSA and the GCC has to project power in its own immediate neighborhood especially when that neighborhood (in this case seas) are so crucial economically, politically, strategically and in terms of trade. You rarely find such important waters in the world.
There is no other option for an ambitious country like KSA or an ambitious organization like the GCC. If not then KSA and the GCC might as well handle over sovereignty to some power like the US to do all the work for them with certain obligations etc.

USA will have no problem with KSA and the GCC getting more powerful in their OWN immediate region as long as we still have cordial ties with the West. I see no reason to why we should cut ties to the West let alone anyone else. GCC is a perfect example of a region that lies very strategically and that has warm and close relations with the West, China, India etc.

We are not talking about any dominance here. It's just about projecting power and having a presence in your own immediate region. The Eastern Mediterranean Sea is not the key area here but obviously the Red Sea, Gulf, Arabian Sea and Northern/Eastern Indian Ocean. BUT with a powerful navy you can also extend your presence to the nearby Eastern Mediterranean Sea. From the Northern Red Sea (Northern Hijaz) It's just a stone throw in ME geographical terms at least.

Of course this will be done together with our neighbors and brothers and sisters in nearby Egypt and hopefully a future free Syria. Yes, Israel has a strong presence in that region of the Mediterranean Sea but that should not stop any plans.



Well, rest assured that something on the navy front is going to happen and this will be a gradual and long-term process. It's not something that you do overnight. KSA has had years to think about how to strengthen the navy hence all those rumors in the past few years.

Right now our navy is nothing to write home about. There is a big, sorry even a gigantic difference, between the quality of our air force and our navy for instance. That gap should not be that big let alone be there in a ideal world.

The GCC as a whole will invest more in their navies. I have no doubt about this. Especially as the air forces can hardly get any better.

Hopefully in 10 years time or so when the GCC becomes even more powerful (and maybe expands with Yemen and Jordan) we will merge into 1 big country. But that's another discussion.

you mean like a federation? we would become a superpower in no time lol, but i think something like the European Union would be more effective for the region.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

you mean like a federation? we would become a superpower in no time lol, but i think something like the European Union would be more effective for the region.

Things needs sometime to work on finely. At least for now.

 

[Ceylal]

Could that be as a result of Saudi/Pakistan ever improving ties in your opinion?

0+0=0
That is a very good news if the increase of the budget are to benefit KSA, but as in the past those increases served only to upgrade and renew the American army arm stocks that they have in Saudi Arabia.
With a $90B, KSA has to put every able Saudi under arm. Simply laughable.

 

[al-Hasani]

you mean like a federation? we would become a superpower in no time lol, but i think something like the European Union would be more effective for the region.

KSA is already a regional power in the ME/West Asia. GCC is already the most powerful union too in that part of the world. GCC turning into 1 formal country and potentially including both nearby Yemen and Jordan into that body would IMO not change much.

Superpower? I highly doubt this. If the Arab world united into 1 formal country then it would indeed become a superpower on a international level.

Anyway we are a bit off topic here.

@Serpentine

* Iran will not use Ballistic Missiles, unilaterally in a conflict with Saudi Arabia. Please bear in mid that Ballistic Missiles aren't as accurate as people think they are. Ballistic Missiles are used to deliever WMDs which mitigates the accuracy issue.

* Using BMs in a conventional war will not only turn international opinion sharply against Iran but will also not attain any significant battle objectives.

* Saudi Oil refineries areprotected by Patriot SAMs and they are buying Ageis destroyers which render the conventional use of BMs, all but useless.

* Saudis too operate Ballistic Missiles, which they will refrain from firing at Iran, simply to win the diplomatic battle as Iran would look like the aggressor.

* Any battle between Iran and KSA will most likely remain confined to air and naval theaters since a land border doesn't exist and both countries have limited marine invasion capability.

In any such battle the result would be in the Saudi favour.

@Serpentine

This debate is hypothetical as i don't see any direct clash between SA and Iran for the foreseeable future.

Just few points to be noted here.

* Use of Short Range BMs too won't have the results Iranian planners would want to have.
SRBMs follow a certain ballistic trajectory which makes them vunreble to Air Defense Systems. KSA has E-3 AEWCs aircrafts and an array of sophisticated AESA units on the ground and at Sea.

Saudi Military is highly networked and their Patriot systems along with upcoming SM-3 armed Ships can intercrpt and destroy most if not all incoming projectiles which follow a ballistic trajectory.

* Attacking oil installations will have international repurcussions for Iran, since it will send the oil prices sky rocketing.

* Iranian hydrocarbon installations too would become bulls eye for the Saudis who have all assets they need to destroy them, which is their extremely well geared and trained air force.

* Because the ground and marine paradigm doesn't exist, any such war will be limited to the use of air power, naval assets and as a final resort, the use of ballistic missiles.

In such a conflict, the airpower will decide the winner.

You sir, got it spot on.

 

[tonyget]

Does Saudi's defence budget include R&D expense ?

 

[Mosamania]

Does Saudi's defence budget include R&D expense ?

Yes, the military owns and subsidies a number of companies and government organizations that are R&D centric.