The Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces (RSADF) () is the aerial defense service branch of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF). It is fourth of the five service branches of the MOD.Al Saud, K. Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, al-Moqatel (in Arabic) online. It has its HQ in Riyadh, where there is also an underground command facility that co-ordinates the kingdom's advanced "Peace Shield" radar and air defense system, with an estimated 16,000 active duty military personnel in 2025. Along with the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF), it has the responsibility for securing the skies of Saudi Arabia.
Overview
Towards the end of the 1970s, a paradigm shift occurred with the SAAF with the making of the RSAD Corps as a separate and equivalent service, equal to the Army, Navy, and Air Forces. It is no longer subordinate to the RSLF. The impetus behind this shift is the ever-changing threat. The concern by the Kingdom of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their mechanism of delivery, resulted in the early understanding by the MoD of the requirement to transform, and thus the creation of the RSADF.
Between 2017 and 2020, the RSAF claimed the interception of 311 cruise missiles and 343 suicide drones but failed to stop some of the attacks against the strategic Saudi sites of the Houthi movement and Iran.
Peace Shield
Remote-controlled air/ground radio communications sites. 17 Lockheed Martin AN/FPS-117 long-range phased array, 3-dimensional air search radar. 6 Northrop Grumman AN/TPS-43 portable 3-dimensional tactical air search radar. Raytheon Improved HAWK air defense missile system. Raytheon MIM-104 Patriot air defense missile system Oerlikon Contraves Skyguard 35mm Twin Cannon Short Range air defense system Lockheed Martin THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense system LIG Nex1 KM-SAM Source:Janes-Military-Communications, 5 July 2005, Peace Shield (Saudi Arabia), Systems Retrieved 2012-01-23
Inventory WeaponOrigin1990200020052006+RSAD InventoryCordesman, A. H., Al-Rodhan, K. R. (2006). Gulf Military Forces in an Era of Asymmetric Wars. United Kingdom: Praeger Security International. P. 208 Anti-Aircraft Artillery M163 VADS United States 92 92 92 92 AMX-30SA France 50 50 50 50 Oerlikon GDF Switzerland 128 128 128 128 Bofors 40mm L/70 Sweden 150 150 150 70 Surface-to-Air Missiles Shahine France 141 141 141 141 I-HAWK United States 128 128 128 128 Crotale France 0 40 40 40 FIM-92A Stinger/Avenger United States 0 0 400 400 FIM-43 Redeye United States 0 0 500 500 Mistral France 0 0 500 500 PAC-2 Patriot United States 0 0 0 640
See also Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force
Notes
References
External links
R.S. Air Defense official website Moqatel (Warrior Desert)