Saudi air defenses like Patriot & Aegis don’t match their advertised properties, unfit for real combat – Russian Army
Multiple Patriot launchers, Aegis destroyers and radars are guarding Saudi skies, but they failed to stop a massive strike on an oilfield because their actual properties aren’t what the US advertises, a Russian Army source says.
Benefiting from the US arms deliveries, Saudi Arabia managed to build up “the most powerful air defense system in the region that provides full radar coverage,” a high-ranking Russian military source stated on Thursday.
Nowadays, there are 88 Patriot launchers – 52 of which are the newest PAC-3 version – shielding Saudi Arabia’s northern border, he said. In addition to that, three guided missile destroyers, armed with 100 SM-2 missiles, are traversing Persian Gulf waters off Saudi shores.
But their efficiency is questionable when it comes to real-life action, he said.
Patriot and Aegis air defense systems don’t match their advertised properties – they are inefficient against small-size aerial targets and cruise missiles.
“They’re simply unable to repel an enemy assault involving a massive use of airworthy weapons in real combat,” he explained.
