Tuesday, September 17, 2019

How Were Low-Tech Drones Able To Pierce Saudi Arabian Security?

The relatively low-tech attack managed to pierce the Arab kingdom's air defences despite the country spending $65billion on arms last year alone (pictured, the refinery burns)

Daily Mail: How were low-tech drones able to pierce Saudi Arabian security? Defence system called into question despite country spending $65bn on arms last year including US radar and Patriot missiles - as mocking Putin says they should have bought Russian

* Abqaiq refinery and Khurais oil field were blown up in suspected drone attack, crippling Saudi Arabia's oil exports and cutting off 5 per cent of global supply
* Experts question how low-tech drones were able to pierce Saudi's air security
* Country bought $65bn of arms last year, including US radar and Patriot missiles
* Vladimir Putin said Saudi should have bought his S-400 air defences instead

Drone attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil fields exposes just how vulnerable the kingdom is to assaults using low-cost technology despite being the world's largest importer of arms, experts say.

Saudi Arabia spent an estimated $65 billion on military hardware last year alone, most of which was imported from the United States, including the latest radars, F-15 fighter jets, and Patriot missile defence systems.

But on Saturday an attack using what appears to have been explosive-laden drones managed to pierce that defensive shield and knock out half of the kingdom's oil output, or 5 per cent of global supply.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: U.S. intelligence is saying that cruise missiles were used .... U.S. intel shows cruise missiles fired at Saudi oil facility came from Iran, officials say (NBC).

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If that is the case, then its an act of war.

But, we live in strange times, with strange sensibilities and political boundaries.

Be interesting to see how Saudia Arabia acts. But the line for the definition of war has been constantly evolving and further expanding away. These days its all about de-escalation, but also, saving face. How do you save face in such a situation without a formal declaration of war?

Anonymous said...

Why would the Russians want to sell Saudi Arabia a "more effective" anti-missle system when the attack ended up boosting Russian oil exports?

Anonymous said...

Pa. man accused of using drone to drop explosives on ex-girlfriend’s property

Bob Huntley said...

https://whowhatwhy.org/2019/09/11/judge-orders-release-of-records-that-might-tie-saudi-royals-to-9-11/