US approves $15bn sale of THAADs to Saudi Arabia
The US State Department announced that the administration had approved the sale to Saudi Arabia of its advanced Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system. The sale worth $15bn was “to boost Saudi and Gulf security against Iran and other regional threats.” It was announced a day after Saudi Arabia agreed to buy air defense systems from Russia during the visit to Moscow of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
The arms dealers have never had it so good.
Yes. The US is afraid of its allies purchasing all their arms requirements from Russia instead of them. The Russian equipment is of pretty good quality now, and way cheaper than the American gear. The US must sell, or find that their market will dry up.
We in Australia are still waiting on our F35s, which are dogged with quality issues and spiralling prices. Meanwhile, our northern neighbor, Indonesia, is arming at a ferocious rate with top line Russian aircraft and missile systems at a fraction of the price and have all ready taken delivery. As sea levels rise, and the heavily populated country looks for land to replace their inundated islands, their eyes will look south to our country, and those with the best weapons will win the battles that will follow.
Who knows what will happen? But this scenario is all ready playing out across the world as governments prepare for the water and land wars that are to come.
Truly this is the best of times for the arms dealers.