Why does the Saudi navy have 3 minesweepers?

[RogerRanger]

Why is the Saudi navy built so ridiculously?

I mean they have hundreds of billions in capital they could spend, they could easily have the most powerful navy in the Gulf and Red sea, why don't they?

I mean 3 minesweepers when they know the main weapon of the Iranians will be to mine the gulf. They should have at least a dozen. They have no subs or midget subs, no missile boats. I mean what's wrong with them? Build 'corvettes' and 'frigates' for what? The Iranians may have old ships and boats, but at least they are designed to operate in green and brown water environments. I don't know they Saudi military is confusing, it seems they just buy stuff to gain political influence in western nations?

Can someone enlighten me?

 

[Spook]

Why is the Saudi navy built so ridiculously?

I mean they have hundreds of billions in capital they could spend, they could easily have the most powerful navy in the Gulf and Red sea, why don't they?

I mean 3 minesweepers when they know the main weapon of the Iranians will be to mine the gulf. They should have at least a dozen. They have no subs or midget subs, no missile boats. I mean what's wrong with them? Build 'corvettes' and 'frigates' for what? The Iranians may have old ships and boats, but at least they are designed to operate in green and brown water environments. I don't know they Saudi military is confusing, it seems they just buy stuff to gain political influence in western nations?

Can someone enlighten me?

I am not qualified to answer in detail.

One of the most important factors is internal politics, civil-military relations. In simplest, building an effective military, thus having capable personnel means less control over the military for the ruling class. Any somewhat merit based ranking as opposed trustees would be seen as a threat. Saudi military is designed to be ineffective, disorganized in purpose to prevent the possibility of challenging the ruling class.

 

[RogerRanger]

I am not qualified to answer in detail.

One of the most important factors is internal politics, civil-military relations. In simplest, building an effective military, thus having capable personnel means less control over the military for the ruling class. Any somewhat merit based ranking as opposed trustees would be seen as a threat. Saudi military is designed to be ineffective, disorganized in purpose to prevent the possibility of challenging the ruling class.

Thanks. That does explain it.

Basically jobs for the Royals to keep them busy, rather than overthrowing the current king.

 

[TR_123456]

Why is the Saudi navy built so ridiculously?

I mean they have hundreds of billions in capital they could spend, they could easily have the most powerful navy in the Gulf and Red sea, why don't they?

I mean 3 minesweepers when they know the main weapon of the Iranians will be to mine the gulf. They should have at least a dozen. They have no subs or midget subs, no missile boats. I mean what's wrong with them? Build 'corvettes' and 'frigates' for what? The Iranians may have old ships and boats, but at least they are designed to operate in green and brown water environments. I don't know they Saudi military is confusing, it seems they just buy stuff to gain political influence in western nations?

Can someone enlighten me?

The emphasis of most Gulf nations is on the Army and Airforce,only this last decade they understood that a Navy is important as well.
Only now that Iran is becoming a real danger to them,they start forming ''respectable'' navies.
Egypt and Algeria have navies,the rest of the Arab nations,not yet.

 

[Gary]

The main threat for Saudi Arabia are the Iranian militia in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

All requires strong army and air force. The Navy is more a blockade assets and it's already more capable than anything the Iranians have in possession.

The threat of mine warfare would be a Saudi-US joint campaign if one such scenario exist, in particular the Hormuz strait. @RogerRanger

 

[RogerRanger]

The main threat for Saudi Arabia are the Iranian militia in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

All requires strong army and air force. The Navy is more a blockade assets and it's already more capable than anything the Iranians have in possession.

The threat of mine warfare would be a Saudi-US joint campaign if one such scenario exist, in particular the Hormuz strait. @RogerRanger

Personally I think this perception is wrong. That the major threat from Iran is the militia in Iraq, Syria, Yemen. The major threat is from Iranians blockading and mining the gulf, at which point the Saudi's can't export oil and they go bankrupt. Allowing the Iranians to buy of Shia's in Saudi to then revolt against the kingdom. The Iranians don't have the army/air force capabilities to actually attack in invade Saudi, they don't have the power-projection brigades. What they do have is a very capable green water navy, a defensively capable air force and an army for internal control.

All the Iranians need to do is mine the gulf, put their midget subs in the water and their attack boats to sea, and there is nothing Saudi can do about it. At this point the Americans could do very little, because they only have 12 minesweepers themselves, and they can't use the carriers or SSN's in the gulf when it has been mined and crawling with midget subs and attack boats. Its fair to say Iran is the major naval power in the gulf now, not the US or Saudi.

 

[RogerRanger]

The emphasis of most Gulf nations is on the Army and Airforce,only this last decade they understood that a Navy is important as well.
Only now that Iran is becoming a real danger to them,they start forming ''respectable'' navies.
Egypt and Algeria have navies,the rest of the Arab nations,not yet.

Apparently Egypt just got a navy to attack a dam in Ethiopia. Which is amusing.

Saudi is a desert, why do they need a massive army and air force? Other than for internal control? The navy should have always been the point of emphasis for the Saudi's, given their dependence of oil exports by sea. They spend tens of billions or stupid vanity projects, but can't spend 30 billion on a decent navy to protect their oil exports? Even Israel has started building a better navy, most people think its because of their EEZ claim, but I think its because they don't trust their air force anymore.

It also seems that navies are still the hardest thing to build, compared to armies and air forces as well. A good minesweeper is 30 million dollars though, I mean jets cost twice that.

 

[TR_123456]

Apparently Egypt just got a navy to attack a dam in Ethiopia. Which is amusing.

Saudi is a desert, why do they need a massive army and air force? Other than for internal control? The navy should have always been the point of emphasis for the Saudi's, given their dependence of oil exports by sea. They spend tens of billions or stupid vanity projects, but can't spend 30 billion on a decent navy to protect their oil exports? Even Israel has started building a better navy, most people think its because of their EEZ claim, but I think its because they don't trust their air force anymore.

It also seems that navies are still the hardest thing to build, compared to armies and air forces as well. A good minesweeper is 30 million dollars though, I mean jets cost twice that.

The Gulf states never needed a navy,90% of the companies working in the Gulf are American therefore protected by the most powerful navy of all.
Now that the US is slowly distancing itself from the ME,the Gulf states are forced to build navies,form alliances with strong powers and start indigenous weapon industries.
Why do you think the Gulf states started recognizing Israel,why do you think the Gulf states finance all of Egypts Defence projects?
Sudan,Iraq,Jordan,Syria(yes they want Assad to join).

 

[Gary]

The major threat is from Iranians blockading and mining the gulf, at which point the Saudi's can't export oil and they go bankrupt.

Saudi Arabia has the alternative of the Red Sea to export their oil, If Iran blocked the Hormuz strait, it will hurt themselves also, consider that their own tankers passed through those strait and how could Iran successfully execute blockading the gulf ???

Their IRI Navy is small and not that sophisticated, IRIN assets blockading the waterways are vulnerable to GCC airstrike.

All the Iranians need to do is mine the gulf, put their midget subs in the water and their attack boats to sea, and there is nothing Saudi can do about it. At this point the Americans could do very little, because they only have 12 minesweepers themselves, and they can't use the carriers or SSN's in the gulf when it has been mined and crawling with midget subs and attack boats. Its fair to say Iran is the major naval power in the gulf now, not the US or Saudi.

sorry but if "all they need to do" actually is as easy as it sounds then the Iranians would've already done it.

Mining international waters and deliberately halting the lifeline of the world economy will result in countries ganging up on Iran, at which point Iran has very little choice to do anything about it.

The carriers will be far out at sea, their jets will do the job, so does the SSN----and their long range missile--- will do the job.