Russia Will Participate in the “Race” of Saudi Arms Suppliers

Saudi Arabia Conducts Negotiations with Russia on the Purchase of Arms and Military Technology

According to an announcement made on November 12th by the deputy director of the Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS), Konstantin Birulin, Russia and Saudi Arabia “are discussing trends, themes, and possible forms of cooperation on all types of arms.”

Thus, for the first time, Moscow officially acknowledged these negotiations, which have been conducted, according to certain sources, since 2007. It has even been reported in the media that the alleged contracts are already signed.

The arms market of Saudi Arabia has been, for all intents and purposes, under the control of the United States and Great Britain since Soviet times. Saudi kings were very afraid of threats to their power from the USSR, which was attempting to establish pro-communist regimes in Arab countries, but the Saudis continued to maintain loyalty to their old partners.

With the first signal that the situation could change, negotiations began at the highest level, taking place in Saudi Arabia in February of 2007. Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Saudi King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan bin-Abdul-Aziz-Al-Saud where, according to press reports, the question of likely military-technical cooperation was touched upon.

And in October the French media reported that Riyadh had signed an agreement with Moscow to purchase over 150 Russian Mi-35 (Hind, according to NATO classification) and Mi-17 (Hip) helicopters for a total sum of $2 billion. There was also a contract for the purchase of the latest air defense systems.

Specifically, they discussed the anti-aircraft missile systems S-400 and “Buk-M2E.” However, until now this information has not been officially confirmed.

In May of 2008, new information appeared in the press about the signing of a Russian-Saudi arms contract. This report cited a much more impressive sum – $4 billion. And it was not only for helicopters and air defense systems, but for armored equipment (several hundred T-90S and BMP-3 tanks).

Admittedly, this information has not received official confirmation either. However, a high ranking official has now stated publicly that the negotiations are at least being conducted, and “for all types of arms,” at that.

Apparently the time is not too far off when the U.S. and other Western countries’ monopoly of the arms market in Saudi Arabia will be disrupted, and in a most serious way.

Why did Riyadh cease to maintain their former position? And why would they want Russian arms as a supplement, or perhaps even a partial replacement?

The first vice-president of the Academy for Geopolitical Problems, Konstantin Sivkov, and an analyst from the Institute of Political and Military Analysis, Anatoly Tsyganok, shared their opinions with Pravda.ru.

Konstantin Sivkov:

“The fact that Saudi Arabia is conducting negotiations with Russia concerning the delivery of arms gives evidence, once again, that under the conditions of the ongoing world financial crisis, international politics is changing.

The point is that the U.S. is now programmed for aggression. Their total domestic debt exceeds GDP by several times. And perhaps the only exit America sees is the seizure of raw material sources. Riyadh understands perfectly well the danger coming from Washington.

Saudi Arabia remembers clearly how the friendship between the U.S. and Iraq ended, and they don’t want a recurrence of that for themselves.

In this regard, there is an important and generally known fact. Modern Western weapons are produced with so-called “bookmarks,” that is, electronic arrangements, making them impossible to use against the manufacturing country and its allies. And possibly the Saudis are not ruling out the likelihood of a military confrontation with the West.

Finally, unlike in Soviet times, Moscow does not perceive Saudi Arabia as an enemy. On the contrary, it is a potential partner.”

Anatoly Tsyganok:

“Saudi Arabia is seeking to diversify its list of arms suppliers. One of the reasons is that, in 2007, the U.S. basically tore up the contract for delivery of high-precision bombs to Riyadh.

Their refusal was based on the possibility of the bombs ending up in the hands of terrorists. Of course, it was impossible not to offend the Saudis, and it forced Saudi Arabia to rush on a quest for new partners.

Another important point is the correlation of the price and quality of Russian weapons. On average, our samples are one-third cheaper than the Americans’, they possess a higher quality, and they perform excellently in extreme conditions, such as those experienced in deserts.

I remind you that our military technology showed its advantage over Western models even during “Desert Storm” in 1991, and the Saudi military remembers that.

At that time, countries with Soviet weapons became members of the anti-Iraq coalition. For example, Syria’s Soviet T-72 tanks successfully functioned where Western armored technology, not able to withstand the heat and other difficult conditions in the desert, continually broke down.”