Saudi Arabia Struggles to Stop Houthi Attacks Despite Hundreds of Billions in Arms Spending
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 15
Saudi Arabia Struggles to Stop Houthi Attacks Despite Hundreds of Billions in Arms Spending
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 15
Summary
Saudi Arabia has failed to halt deadly Houthi strikes even after spending hundreds of billions of dollars to build one of the world’s top 10 militaries.
Cheap drones and low-flying cruise missiles have exposed a mismatch in Saudi defenses, which were built around high-end jets and missile interceptors that analysts say carry a “glitter factor.”
Saudi air defenses were also oriented toward threats from Iran or Iraq to the east and northeast, leaving the kingdom more vulnerable to attacks launched from Yemen in the southwest.
Longstanding structural problems have compounded the weakness: rival military branches and highly centralized decision-making have limited flexibility as fighting in recent months has reignited the war Riyadh began in 2015.