The Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces (RSADF) (Arabic: قُوَّات الدِفَاع الجوّي المَلكِيَّ السُّعُودِي) is the aerial defense service branch of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF). It is fourth of the five service branches of the MOD. It has its HQ in Riyadh, where there is also an elaborate underground command facility that co-ordinates the kingdom's advanced "Peace Shield" radar and air defense system, with an estimated 10,000 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.
| Royal Saudi Air Defense | |
|---|---|
| الدِفَّاع الجوّي المَلكِيَّ السُّعُودِيَّ | |
Emblem of the RSADF | |
| Founded | 1930 |
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Type | Air defense |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size | 16,000 |
| Part of | Saudi Armed Forces
|
| Headquarters | Riyadh (central HQ) |
| Colors | |
| Engagements | Action of June 5, 1984 Gulf War Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict |
| Website | www.rsadf.gov.sa |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Lt. General Mazyad al-Amro |
| Insignia | |
| Flag | |
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:
Inventory
| Weapon | Origin | 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
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