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Saudi Arabia Operates over 200 Lethal F-15s
(Substack) Lenny Ben-David - In 1981, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected the sale of Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) planes to Saudi Arabia by a vote of 301-111, while the Senate narrowly approved it by a vote of 52-48. The aircraft were initially intended for the Shah's Iran, but the U.S. froze arms transfers after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The AWACS sale also symbolized a sea change in U.S. policy, establishing Saudi Arabia as a "pillar" of American policy in the Middle East. Today, the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) operates more than 200 very lethal F-15s, making it the second-largest F-15 fleet in the world, behind only the U.S. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated it will not undertake offensive operations against Iran, despite hundreds of Iranian drone, ballistic, and cruise missile attacks targeting Saudi bases (some housing American troops) and energy infrastructure. The Saudis claim their F-15s conduct exclusively defensive missions - intercepting drones and missiles from within Saudi borders.