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Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saudis may buy ‘sub-killer’ planes
Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in buying six P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from Boeing worth a reported US$1.3 billion (Dh4.8bn), the US aerospace firm says.
The plans for the P-8, which releases sonar buoys to identify submarines and destroys them by dropping torpedoes, are part of a wider naval modernisation programme reportedly worth as much as $20bn.
“They took the steps to say to the US Navy that they are interested,” Ray Figueras, the director of strategic development for the P-8 Poseidon at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS), said of the Saudi Royal Navy. “We’ve been told there is a need for six.”
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The material is being made available in an effort to advance understanding arms trade activities, for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site.
Lets hope the Saudis have the willingness and ability to operate the P-8s if they buy them.
ReplyDeleteI have a suspicion that the Saudis merely buy expensive US and other western weapons as a balance of trade counterweight for oil.
The Saudi need for US protection against Iraq and Iran (always with a lower defence budget then the Saudis) seems to confirm that Saudi defence is primarily in the buying - not utilising.