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Saudi Arabia
Cooperation with Other Countries
Although the United States was the dominant foreign influence
in the post-World War II development of the Saudi military establishment,
the kingdom has regularly awarded contracts to other governments
or to private corporations in other countries to avoid complete
dependence on a single supplier. Britain and France have been
the other two major recipients of Saudi contracts for weapons
and equipment, maintenance, training, and construction of facilities.
According to ACDA statistics, Britain was actually the largest
supplier of arms from 1985 to 1989, providing military goods and
services totaling US$7.7 billion. France was second with $US7.0
billion and the United States was third with US$5.0 billion. Imports
from China were US$2.5 billion, arising principally from the sale
of the CSS-2 missile system. Among the major French transactions
was a US$4.5 billion contract disclosed in 1984 for the Shahine
mobile antiaircraft missile defense system to guard the Saudi
oil fields and other sensitive targets. In addition to sales of
tanks and other armored equipment in the 1970s, France was a leading
supplier of ships and helicopters.
During World War II, Britain, which had been the dominant foreign
power in the Middle East for many years, and the United States
coordinated their efforts to train and modernize Abd al Aziz's
small armed forces. British training missions were active in the
kingdom, and some Saudis were sent to Britain for military schooling.
After the war, the United States took over most of the training
and modernization of the Saudi military, but Britain continued
to share in the contracts for arms, equipment, and services. For
many years, a majority of Saudi combat aircraft were British Lightnings
and Strikemasters manufactured by BAe, which had long-standing
contracts to provide services and maintenance to the Royal Saudi
Air Force. The company also operated the King Faisal Air Academy
and the Technical Studies Institute.
In 1986, after being thwarted in its efforts to purchase additional
F-15s from the United States, Saudi Arabia responded by announcing
the purchase of Tornado fighter-bombers and interceptors built
by a British-led consortium, as well as Hawk jet trainers and
Pilatus training aircraft. The advanced Tornadoes were offered
without the restrictions on basing and armaments that the United
States had imposed on its sale of F-15s to reduce the risk of
their being used against Israel. In July 1988, the Saudis announced
an agreement in principle to purchase US$20 to US$30 billion worth
of aircraft and other military equipment and construction services
from Britain over a ten-year period. The 1986 and 1988 agreements
were sometimes referred to by the code names, Al Yamamah I and
Al Yamamah II. Under Al Yamamah II, Saudi Arabia signaled its
intention to acquire additional Tornadoes, jet trainers, British
versions of the Blackhawk helicopter, and minesweepers for the
navy. The cost of the huge arms agreement was to be offset by
proceeds from Saudi oil shipments and by British investments in
military and civilian production plants in Saudi Arabia.
Under an agreement announced in 1983, Spain has supplied Saudi
Arabia with CASA C-212 transport aircraft, built as a joint venture
between Spain and Indonesia, as well as other equipment. In 1990
negotiations with Germany over the sale of 300 Leopard II tanks
reportedly failed when Germany decided not to proceed in light
of its policy against arms sales to areas of tension and what
it viewed as its moral obligation to the state of Israel.
Data as of December 1992
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