Saudis expanding air base near Israel [I wonder why]

upi via bloomberg no url | 12/2/3

[NativeNewYorker]

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The Saudi Defense Ministry has launched a project to develop and expand the King Faisal Air Base in Tabuk, near the Israeli border.

The base is home to about 50 advanced F-15S fighter-jets, which were sent to the northwestern facility on the eve of the U.S.-led war against Iraq in March 2003.

But the United States is uneasy with the plan. Under a 1978 agreement for the first F-15s to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia pledged not to deploy the aircraft in Tabuk.

Israel has also warned the United States the presence of the fighters at Tabuk could be used by al-Qaida agents within the Saudi military to attack the Jewish state, Middle East Newsline reported.

Officials said support facilities at the air force base will be expanded and improved. They did not say whether this would include maintenance and logistics facilities for the F-15S fleet.

The expansion of Saudi air force facilities in Tabuk also included the launch of a military hospital, and the construction of 360 housing units for hospital and military staff.

[AdamSelene235]

Nuclear missiles in Saudi Arabia?

[Alter Kaker]

Near Israeli border? Good. Our pilots can use less petrol to accomplish same task.

[NativeNewYorker]

At some cosmic level, when G-d gave the Arabs oil, he was giving whiskey and car keys to a demented teenager.

Great screen name!!

[RonHolzwarth]

The Saudi Defense Ministry has launched a project to develop and expand the King Faisal Air Base in Tabuk. The base is home to about 50 advanced F-15S fighter-jets. Saudi Arabia pledged not to deploy the aircraft in Tabuk.

--->The Arabs broke another agreement with the "infidels".<---

--->So what's new?<---

---

Israel has also warned the United States the presence of the fighters at Tabuk could be used by al-Qaida agents within the Saudi military to attack the Jewish state.

--->Then it will be time to bomb the Saudis back! War is war, after all!<---

---

Plus, there is this, if the Saudis spend their oil money on buying military jets from us, and they get them destroyed (and you KNOW they will), well, there is just more manufacturing jobs for us here in the United States!

[aimhigh]

Actually, it's their land, and it's within their right. Israel should just aim an auto-nuke at the Islamic capitol in response.

[anotherview]

If Israel bends an agreement about how to use American weapons the (mainly leftist) press goes nuts and it becomes some kind of big issue. When an Arab country ignores an agreement completely and threatens Israel it may attract some minor amount of interest on Free Republic but will be ignored in the mainstream media and by those in Washington with the power to object in a meaningful way.

Ya gotta love double standards.

[Kay Soze]

They only fly em at 35000' and up.

Arabs are such cowards.

So they'll have to go staright up!

[thoughtomator]

It's for the quick flight to Egypt to stash them when the invasion comes.

[RightWhale]

My thought, too. To save Israel some jet fuel.

[Indie]

Should have PhotoShopped "PAYBACK" on the fuselage...LOL> Great pic!

[Rummyfan]

I lay money that not a single one of those F15s would even get airborne in the event of conflict.

[NativeNewYorker]

I lay money that not a single one of those F15s would even get airborne in the event of conflict.

To win that bet, you'll have to specify "in one piece".

:)

[dagnabbit]

I was told that Israeli AF pilots actually used to do touch-and-go landings at King Faisal Air Base. To add insult to injury, the Israelis would even punch off empty fuel tanks onto KF before climbing out, rocking their wings the whole way. The Saudis knew better than ever to give chase. Eventually, U.S. officials put a word in to Tel Aviv and the "humiliations" ended.

[arasina]

What a picture. I love the title to it as well.

[Boot Hill]

To more fully appreciate this story, there are a few additional facts that one might find useful.

1. The F-15S is a two-seater variant (read: "negatively enhanced" version) of the F-15E aircraft that was built specifically for the Saudi government. It has downgraded avionics, downgraded LANTIRN pods, and a simplified Hughes APG-70 radar without computerized radar mapping.

2. It is exclusively a very high speed (mach 2.5), long-range (up to 3,500 miles), ground attack aircraft and as such has no air defense role or capability. It is an offensive weapon system only.

3. The U.S. delivered 72 F-15S aircraft to the Saudi government.

4. The U.S. also sold the Saudi's 556 GBU-15, Guided Bomb Units, 48 data link pods, personnel training and training equipment and other related elements of logistics support.

5. If the Saudi project to use Tabuk is completed, it will place these strike aircraft within 150 air miles of the Israeli southern port of Elat on the Gulf of Aqaba, and 250 miles from the city of Dimona (suspected site of Israel's nuclear and missile stockpile), and 325 miles from Tel Aviv.

6. Those targets in Israel are so close to Tabuk that, at mach 2.5, the pilots of those F-15S will barely have a chance to get their seat warm before they arrive over target. (Something like ten minutes from Tabuk to Tel Aviv and probably only seven minutes from first Israeli radar contact to Tel Aviv!)

7. The selection of Tabuk, rather than the much closer (to Israel) Saudi air base at An Nabk could be for two reasons. First, to reach Israel from An Nabk would require over-flying Jordon, with all attendant international complications that would entail. And second, since An Nabk air base is close to Iraq it is highly likely that it is under radar observation and within timely strike range from coalition forces in Western Iraq.

What the Saudi government is doing by basing offensive (not defensive) aircraft so close to Israel is a clear provocation, but what are the Saudi's hoping to accomplish with this? Are they threatening a first strike they really don't intend to follow through on?

I don't think they could be that naive. Certainly they know that if they don't use them in a first strike and regional hostilities break out (e.g., Israel decides to take out Iran's nuclear facilities), that those 72 Saudi aircraft will be toast within the first 15 minutes and Israel won't even break a sweat doing it. Are the Saudi's really stupid enough to risk a major portion of their Air Force in a needless show of bravado?

The only thing I can figure is that they do indeed, at some point, intend to use them as a first strike weapon against Israel, and if they do, may God have mercy on their souls, because the Israeli's damn sure won't have any. (And that is as it should be.)

The proposed Saudi government action is irresponsible and is the direct parallel to the Soviet Union putting nuke missiles in Cuba in 1962. If Saudi Arabia carries through on their plan, watch for Israel to act pre-emptively.

--Boot Hill

[Rummyfan]

Ahhh, lovely Tabuk... the highlight of that town is the Dairy Queen and it's proximity to the Red Sea coast. Spent a year there one month.... There were rumors that the IAF used to buzz the field occasionally to keep the Saudis aware of who's in charge.