Royal Saudi Air Defense

Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces
Founded	1955
Country	Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Allegiance	Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
Type	Land Based Aerial Defence Network
Role	Aerial Defence
Size	40,000 active personnel[1]
Part of	KSA Department of Defense Royal Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (1984–)
Headquarters	Ministry of Defence, Riyadh
Engagements	Gulf War Wai in Yemen (2015–)
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	Lieutenant General Mohammed Awad Asheim
Insignia
Flag

The Royal Saudi Air Defence (RSADF) (Arabic: قوات الـدفاع الـجوي الـملكية الـسعودية) is the fourth branch of Royal Saudi Arabian Armed Forces. It was a part of the Army until 1970, when it was made independent by Field Marshal Khalid bin Sultan. The RSADF has its headquarters in Riyadh (Air Defence Ministry Building designed by Arthur Erickson Architects with Bing Thom), there is also here an elaborate underground command facility that co-ordinates Saudi Arabia's advanced "Peace Shield" radar and air defence system - reputed to be the most advanced radar network in the world.

Peace Shield

• Remote-controlled air/ground radio communications sites.
• 17 Lockheed Martin AN/FPS-117 long-range phased array, 3-dimensional air search radar.
• 6 Northrop-Grumman AN/TPS-43 portable 3-dimensional tactical air search radar.
• Raytheon Improved HAWK air defence missile system.
• Raytheon MIM-104 Patriot air defence missile system
• Oerlikon Contraves [Skyguard 35mm] Twin Cannon Short Range air defence system

Source:^[2]

References

1. "Saudi Arabia spends 25% of its budget on its military — here's what it has for the money". www.uk.businessinsider.com.
2. Janes-Military-Communications, 5 July 2005, Peace Shield (Saudi Arabia), Systems Retrieved 2012-01-23

External links

• RSADF official website