THE ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE AND LONG-TERM …

1 United States Marine CorpsCommand and Staff CollegeMarine Corps University2076 South StreetMarine Corps Combat Development CommandQuantico, Virginia 22134-5068 MASTER OF MILITARY STUDIESTHE ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE AND LONG-TERM SAUDINATIONAL DEFENSE:A STRATEGIC VISIONSUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENTOF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OFMASTER OF MILITARY STUDIESAUTHOR: Lieutenant Colonel Turki K. Al Saud, ROYAL SAUDI Air ForceAcademic Year 2001-2002 Mentor: Dr. Kamal A. BeyoghlowApproved: _____Date: _____Mentor: Lieutenant Colonel Scott SlaterApproved: _____Date: _____REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGEForm Approved OMB reporting burder for this collection of information is estibated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completingand reviewing this collection of information.

2 Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burder to Department of Defense, WashingtonHeadquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision oflaw, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY)06-05-20022. REPORT TYPES tudent research paper3.

3 DATES COVERED (FROM - TO)xx-xx-2002 to xx-xx-20024. TITLE AND SUBTITLEThe ROYAL SAUDI Air FORCE and LONG-TERM SAUDI National Defense: A Strategic VisionUnclassified5a. CONTRACT NUMBER5b. GRANT NUMBER5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER6. AUTHOR(S)Al Saud, Turki K. ;5d. PROJECT NUMBER5e. TASK NUMBER5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESSUSMC Command and Staff College2076 South StreetMCCDCQ uantico, VA22134-50688. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORTNUMBER9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESSUSMC Command and Staff College2076 South StreetMCCDCQ uantico, VA22134-506810. SPONSOR/MONITOR'S ACRONYM(S)11. SPONSOR/MONITOR'S REPORTNUMBER(S)12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENTAPUBLIC RELEASE,13.

4 SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES14. ABSTRACTSee SUBJECT TERMS16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF:17. LIMITATIONOF ABSTRACTP ublic PAGES4319. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSONEM114, REPORTU nclassifiedb. ABSTRACTU nclassifiedc. THIS PAGEU nclassified19b. TELEPHONE NUMBERI nternational Area CodeArea Code Telephone Number703767-9007 DSN427-9007 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98)Prescribed by ANSI Std DOCUMENTATION PAGEFORM APPROVED - - - OMB NO. 0704-0188public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

5 Send comments regarding thisburden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters services, directorate for information operations and reports, 1215 Jefferson davis highway, suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the office of management andbudget, paperwork reduction project (0704-0188) Washington, dc 205031. AGENCY USE ONLY (LEAVE BLANK)2. REPORT DATE6 MAY 20023. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED STUDENT RESEARCH PAPER4. TITLE AND SUBTITLETHE ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE AND LONG-TERM SAUDI NATIONALDEFENSE: A STRATEGIC VISION5. FUNDING NUMBERS N/A6. AUTHOR(S)LT COL Turki K.

6 Al Saud7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) USMC COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE 2076 SOUTH STREET, MCCDC, QUANTICO, VA 22134-50688. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER NONE9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) SAME AS # SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER: NONE11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES NONE12A. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT NO RESTRICTIONS12B. DISTRIBUTION CODE N/AABSTRACT(maximum 200 words) Technological advances employed in strategicoffensive air operations during the Gulf War revolutionizedwar fighting in a desert environment and provides a basis fordeveloping a new SAUDI strategic vision emphasizing thecentral role for strategic air offense and joint inter-service war NUMBER OF PAGES: 3714.

7 SUBJECT TERMS (KEY WORDS ON WHICH TO PERFORM SEARCH)16. PRICE CODE: N/A17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT UNCLASSIFIED18. SECURITYCLASSIFICATION OFTHIS PAGE:UNCLASSIFIED19. SECURITYCLASSIFICATION OFABSTRACTUNCLASSIFIED20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACTiiDISCLAIMERTHE OPINIONS AND CONCLUSIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE THOSE OF THEINDIVIDUAL STUDENT AUTHOR AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENTTHE VIEWS OF EITHER THE MARINE CORPS COMMAND AND STAFFCOLLEGE OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY. REFERENCES TOTHIS STUDY SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOREGOING FROM, ABSTRACTION FROM, OR REPRODUCTION OF ALL ORANY PART OF THIS DOCUMENT IS PERMITTED PROVIDED PROPERACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS OF CONTENTSPageEXECUTIVE SUMMARY ivINTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 1 CHAPTER I: THE EVOLUTION OF THE ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE 3 CHAPTER II: AIR POWER IN THE GULF WAR: REVOLUTION IN DESERT WARFARE 8 CHAPTER III: THE IMPACT OF THE GULF WAR ON THE RSAF 18 CHAPTER IV: THE FUTURE ROLE OF THE RSAF IN SAUDI NATIONAL DEFENSE: A STRATEGIC VISION 23 CHAPTER V.

8 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 29 BIBLIOGRAPHY 35ivEXECUTIVE SUMMARYT itle:THE ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE AND LONG-TERM SAUDINATIONAL DEFENSE: A STRATEGIC VISIONA uthor:Lieutenant Colonel Turki K. Al Saud, ROYAL SAUDI Air ForceThesis:Technological advances employed in strategic offensive air operationsduring the Gulf War revolutionized war fighting in a desert environmentand provides a basis for developing a new SAUDI strategic visionemphasizing the central role for strategic air offense and joint inter-servicewar :The strategic air offensive operations employed in the Gulf War revolutionizedwar fighting in a desert environment.

9 The short duration of the Gulf War was due inlarge part to the effectiveness of the initial strategic air campaign in degrading theenemy s capabilities and its will to role of the ROYAL SAUDI Air FORCE in SAUDI national defense strategy hasbeen primarily defensive: air defense and support for ground forces. The technologicaladvances that enabled the strategic air offensive in the Gulf War to be so successful thusprovide a basis for developing a new SAUDI strategic vision emphasizing a central role forair :The first conclusion of this study is that RSAF should assume the lead role in thenational defense of SAUDI Arabia. Not only is it financially, environmentally anddemographically reasonable, but technologically realistic as second conclusion is that modern desert warfare is too technologicallysophisticated for the service branches to operate independently of each other.

10 Inter-service ground, naval and air planning and operations must be closely integrated underjoint command and control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) as thecornerstone of a new strategic vision utilizing advanced military :The paper recommends implementing a new national strategic vision thatincorporates joint war fighting and assigns to the RSAF the lead role in national AND OVERVIEWS audi Arabia s grand strategy for national defense has not basically changed inover 50 years, since the completion of the O Keefe Report in 1949 that provided the firstorganizational plan for creating modern SAUDI armed forces. With no aggressive designson any of its neighbors, the Kingdom has developed its armed forces around the conceptof strategic defense based on deterring and defending against external attack.