Oil kingdom strengthens navy to reduce reliance on US

Royal Saudi Navy's Makkah frigate

Saudi Arabia has long relied on US naval protection and military support, while the Saudi military has focused primarily on developing capabilities to counter land and air threats.

However, the new situation forces Riyadh to seek ways to improve its self-reliance. Therefore, the above moves are aimed at responding to the growing threat in the region and reflect efforts to reduce dependence on the US in terms of defense, according to an analysis by Business Insider on December 1.

Analyst Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco of the Washington DC-based strategic consulting firm Gulf State Analytics noted that the Royal Saudi Navy has demonstrated its capabilities by leading two naval task forces, the Combined Maritime Forces and the International Maritime Security Construction Group, in missions in late August.

Through this, the Royal Saudi Navy has demonstrated its ability to use its newly commissioned warships in “real-world scenarios”, taking on a more dominant role in missions to protect maritime routes in the region.

Efforts to modernize the navy

Previously, the Saudi Navy consisted mainly of Al-Madinah and Al-Riyadh class frigates, and the support fleet consisted of Badr class frigates and Al-Siddiq class patrol boats. Many of the ships were commissioned in the 1980s.

To strengthen its naval capabilities, the Arab country has been persistent in its goal of modernizing its fleet and in 2018 signed a $1.79 billion deal with Spain to purchase five Avante 2200-class frigates.

The Avante 2200 class is equipped with torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, RIM-162 air defense missiles, and 76 mm guns to shoot down approaching targets from the air and at sea.

The first, the Al Jubail, arrived at the Saudi Arabian naval base in Jeddah in August 2022. Riyadh is expected to receive all five planned ships next year. The new ships will be added to Saudi Arabia's Western Fleet, responsible for protecting the country's coastline along the Red Sea, an area where Yemen's Houthi forces have repeatedly threatened international merchant and naval vessels.

In addition, the Saudi Arabian Eastern Fleet is also expected to receive a batch of four multi-mission surface combat ships (MMSCs) under a $1.96 billion contract with Lockheed Martin in 2019.

The MMSCs are based on the US Freedom-class littoral combat ships and will be the most modern warships in the Saudi Arabian Eastern Fleet at the time of commissioning.

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