Saudis budget up to $60 billion for military buildup

WASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia plans to spend up to $60 billion to modernize its military.

A Saudi consultant to the royal family has reported a Defense Ministry plan to invest between $50 billion and $60 billion to bolster the kingdom's military and security forces. The consultant said this would include the procurement of advanced air and ground platforms as well as a 20 percent increase in Saudi ground forces, Middle East Newsline reported.

"Major strengthening of armed forces initiated; $50 to $60 billion will be invested," Nawaf Obaid, director of the Saudi National Security Assessment Project, said.

Obaid, the security and energy adviser to Saudi ambassador to the United States Prince Turki Al Faisal, outlined an ambitious procurement program in a presentation to the New America Foundation on Nov. 10. Obaid said the Saudi military would acquire fourth-generation aircraft and upgrades.

"The Royal Saudi Air Force will receive a 50 percent fleet expansion of fighter aircrafts and major upgrades to its existing fleet," Obaid said. "Seventy-two new Eurofighter Typhoons have been purchased. The process has begun to upgrade 96 Tornado IDS."

Another part of the modernization program was the upgrade of Saudi Arabia's U.S.-origin F-15 fleet. Obaid said the Royal Saudi Air Force would implement what he termed a "new advanced maintenance program for all 155 F-15s — especially for the aging F-15Cs and Ds — to bring them up to combat readiness."

The air force was also examining a proposal to purchase 48 Rafale fighter-jets from France's Dassault Aviation. Obaid also cited consideration of an advanced platform to replace the aging Saudi fleet of 43 British-origin Hawks air trainers.