Yemen’s Advanced Tactics Expose Saudi Arabia’s Defensive Vulnerabilities
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Financial Times newspaper reported that Saudi Arabia‘s defensive challenges are not related to its military spending or possession of advanced air defense systems. Instead, the issues stem from the advancement of Yemeni armed forces’ tactics, the depletion of Riyadh’s interceptor ammunition, the expanding range of targets hit within Saudi Arabia, and the increasing difficulty of engaging mobile missile launch platforms.
Long-range drones, specifically the Samad 2 and Samad 3 models, are reportedly being used to probe the coverage radius of Saudi Arabia’s air defense systems. Following these initial probes, cruise missiles fly at low altitudes and can alter their trajectories, making them difficult to track and intercept.
Sasha Brukman, a researcher at the International Strategic Studies Association based in Bahrain, emphasized that the Yemeni armed forces have adopted a strategy of exhausting Saudi Arabia’s defensive reserves. This involves Yemeni forces repeatedly striking a key target over consecutive days, compelling Saudi Arabia to deploy its limited air defense systems to that location. Subsequently, areas vacated by these systems are identified, and facilities that receive less protection are attacked.
The geographically dispersed nature of Yemeni attacks across Saudi Arabia forces the country’s air defense systems into constant movement and redeployment.
Bilal Saab, a director at the Institute for Trends and a researcher at Chatham House, stated that Saudi Arabia’s recent failures are attributable to the tactics of Ansar Allah and coordination issues among the country’s air defense systems. He noted that complete air defense is unattainable.
The Financial Times report further indicated that Yemenis have identified weaknesses in Western radars and air defense systems through years of conflict with Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States. They are also leveraging Iran’s experiences in combating Israel and the United States.
