Saudi-Russian arms deal tests ties with the Western allies
In 2023, under a contract signed two years earlier, Russian Pantsir-S1 air defence systems were secretly delivered to Saudi Arabia. Analysts are pondering whether this revelation will impact the relationship between Saudi Arabian authorities and the Western countries, particularly the United States.
According to the Ukrainian portal Militarnyj, citing a report published by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the contract was signed on April 8, 2021.
Saudi Arabia secretly ordered Russian anti-aircraft systems
Disclosed documents indicate that the contract is worth approximately 3.3 billion Canadian dollars. Under its terms, the Russians are committed to delivering 39 combat vehicles Pantsir-S1 (in the export variant Pantsir-S1M) to Saudi Arabia, along with 10 mobile command posts and an unspecified number of anti-aircraft missiles.
The deadline for completion is in 2026, but by 2023, a year after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, some of the ordered equipment was delivered to Saudi Arabia.
Analysts note that Saudi Arabia has not sanctioned Russian arms companies, but by collaborating with them, it risks having U.S. sanctions imposed on its own entities. Similarly, Turkey faced complications when excluded from the F-35 fighter jet purchase program due to its use of the Russian S-400 air defence system.
The relations between the Saudi Arabian authorities and the West are complex, but analysts emphasize that the country also uses American Patriot anti-aircraft systems. In 2024, trade policies concerning Saudi Arabia were relaxed not only by the United States but also by Germany, which agreed to sell Eurofighter Typhoon jets.
The modern Russian anti-aircraft system
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence did not respond to media requests for comment regarding contracts with Russia, for whom the Pantsir-S1 is currently one of the most valuable anti-aircraft systems.
It uses 57E6 or 57E6-E missiles with a range of approximately 19 kilometres, as well as 2A38M automatic cannons with a calibre of 30 mm capable of hitting smaller targets at a distance of about 4 kilometres. The Pantsir-S1M variant primarily employs superior radars and systems for countering interference.
