Saudi air defence demands vie with Europe's needs to counter Russian threat

European allies are grappling with the demand for more air defence weapons from Saudi Arabia while simultaneously seeking to bolster their own defences against the Russian threat. Saudi Arabia is pressing for more air defence systems to counter Houthi attacks, but British and French defence sources reveal they cannot "strip out" these systems without weakening the deterrent against Russia in the Baltics.

Britain and France are already sending significant arms supplies to Ukraine, including Stormshadow cruise missiles, but Dr Lynette Nusbacher, a former military intelligence officer, stresses that Saudi Arabia is in urgent need of more air defence capabilities. The kingdom's vulnerability was highlighted by the Houthi missile attack on King Khalid International Airport, which killed 12 people and injured 309.

With commitments to Eastern Europe and the need for missile and drone interceptors in Ukraine, many western countries are running low on defences. France plans to send defensive military systems to the Red Sea port of Yanbu but has not disclosed the equipment. A UK defence source admits they have "very little left in the locker to give" and sending more would require taking them from Eastern Europe.

This would weaken a key deterrent and send a message to Russia that they are dislocating combat power. American Patriot systems in the Middle East have been prioritised for US bases, and Spain is considering sending a Type-45 destroyer and RAF Typhoon fighters to Saudi Arabia. Britain could also provide intelligence gathered through surveillance satellites and listening stations in Cyprus to monitor Houthi activity.