1997 Saudia Arabia Special Weapons News
- Saudi Arabia Launches First Self-made Missile : Xinhua News Agency : July 20, 1997 Saudi Arabia has fired its first domestically made surface-to-surface missile in a test. The missile which has a range of 35 to 60 kilometers was launched at a new military firing range in the south of the Kingdom.
- Saudis' Missiles Drop From Sight : Charles J. Hanley : May 12, 1997 -- In 1988 Saudi Arabia bought CSS-2s from the Chinese paying " over $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion to the Chinese for 60 of the aging, relatively inaccurate
"East Wind" missiles. Separate contracts supplied Chinese crews to maintain and -- apparently -- operate them if ever needed. Some reports said the Saudis got the basic version of the stubby-finned rocket, with a 1,600-mile-plus range. Others said they bought an improved, 2,200-mile model.... First reports suggested the missiles would be based either at the new military complex in Al Kharj, 80 miles south of Riyadh, or at the older King Khaled Military City, 250 miles north of the capital. But ... the military-information group Jane's says they are deployed at remote As Sulayyil, more than 200 miles south of Al Kharj.
And ... the Chinese crews apparently are still on duty. ... In a March 11 [1997] interview with the U.S. publication Defense News, the Saudi military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Saleh Mohaya, said the oil kingdom is now considering replacing or refurbishing the desert missile force." [As Sulayyil is located @ 20°40'N 45°40'E]
- SAUDI PURCHASE OF F-16 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT VOA 30 January 1997
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