Russian arms deal with Saudi raises U.S. ties concerns
In 2023, under a contract signed two years earlier, Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense systems were secretly delivered to Saudi Arabia. Analysts are questioning whether the revelation of this information will impact the relationship between the Saudi Arabian authorities and the West, primarily the United States.
According to the Ukrainian portal Militarnyj, citing a report published by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the contract was signed on April 8, 2021.
Saudi Arabia has secretly ordered Russian anti-aircraft systems
Disclosed documents indicate that the contract is valued at approximately 2.2 billion euros (2.3 billion dollars). Under its terms, the Russians committed to deliver 39 combat vehicles Pantsir-S1 (in the export variant Pantsir-S1M) to Saudi Arabia, as well as 10 mobile command posts and an unspecified number of anti-aircraft missiles.
The project completion deadline is 2026, but as of 2023, a year after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, part of the ordered equipment was already delivered to Saudi Arabia.
Analysts note that Saudi Arabia has not sanctioned Russian arms companies, yet by cooperating with them, it risks having U.S. sanctions imposed on its own entities. Similarly, Turkey encountered issues and was excluded from the F-35 fighter jet program for using the Russian S-400 air defense system.
The relations between Saudi Arabian authorities and the West are complex, but analysts emphasize that Saudi Arabia is a user of American Patriot anti-aircraft systems, among others. In 2024, trade policies regarding Saudi Arabia were eased not only by the United States but also by Germany, which agreed to sell Eurofighter Typhoon jets.
The modern Russian anti-aircraft system
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense did not respond to media requests for comment regarding contracts with Russia, for whom the Pantsir-S1 is currently one of the most valued anti-aircraft systems.
It utilizes 57E6 or 57E6-E missiles with a range of approximately 12 miles, and 2A38M automatic cannons with a caliber of 30 mm capable of hitting smaller targets at a distance of about 2.5 miles. The Pantsir-S1M variant primarily employs improved radars and systems for countering interference.
