战略与国际研究中心-Saudi-Arabia-Enters-the-21st-Century_-The-Military-and-Internal-Security-Dimension-IV-The-Saudi-Army_65页_740kb

Summary of "Saudi Arabia Enters the 21st Century: The Military and Internal Security Dimension"

Core Content

This document, authored by Anthony H. Cordesman and published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in 2002, provides a comprehensive analysis of the Saudi Army's development, challenges, and strategic implications in the context of Saudi Arabia's transition into the 21st century. It focuses on the military and internal security dimensions, examining the evolution of the Saudi military structure, equipment, and manpower, as well as the broader regional and strategic implications.

Main Points

The Saudi Army Overview

• The Saudi Army has grown significantly since the 1960s, becoming a more modern force.
• As of 2002, it had approximately 75,000 full-time active personnel, with five staff branches and eight field zones.
• It was organized into three armored brigades, five mechanized infantry brigades, one airborne brigade, one Royal Guards regiment, five independent artillery brigades, and an aviation command.

Manpower Challenges

• Despite expansion efforts, the Saudi Army still faces serious manpower shortages.
• By 1991, the army was undermanned by 20-35%, and by 2002, it had not yet reached the required force structure.
• The army's force structure is limited to under three division equivalents due to financial and logistical constraints.
• The Saudi Army's reliance on foreign contractors for maintenance and support remains a concern, and the lack of a well-trained, sustainable force structure continues to be a major issue.

Equipment Build-Up and Interoperability

• The Saudi Army has undergone a significant equipment build-up since the Gulf War, but this has led to a complex mix of weapons from various countries.
• It operates tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and air defense systems from different sources, including the US and France.
• This diversity has increased training and support burdens, as well as operational and maintenance costs.
• There is a need for improved standardization and interoperability to ensure effective combat operations and coalition readiness.

Strategic and Regional Implications

• The Saudi Army must defend a large territory (comparable in size to the US east of the Mississippi) against multiple threats, including Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and the potential for conflict with Jordan and Syria.
• The army has limited capacity to conduct division-sized operations and relies heavily on coalition support, especially from the US and Britain.
• The army's focus on defensive posture and lack of emergency and cross-reinforcement exercises has led to a static, defensive mindset.
• The kingdom's force expansion plans, including the goal of reaching 90,000 personnel, face financial and logistical hurdles, especially as the economy becomes more constrained.

Key Challenges and Limitations

• The Saudi Army's expansion plans have not been fully realized due to financial limitations and the difficulty of sustaining large forces.
• The army's equipment is not fully interoperable, and its logistics and maintenance systems are underdeveloped.
• The reliance on foreign contractors for maintenance and support remains a vulnerability.
• The army is not well-prepared for sustained operations or combat recovery, especially away from its bases.
• The military structure is still largely based on a brigade model, which is less efficient for large-scale combat than a division model.

Critical Information

• The document includes several charts showing the growth in Saudi military manpower and equipment from 1979 to 2002.
• These charts highlight the increasing number of tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery, but also the challenges in maintaining and supporting such a large inventory.
• The Saudi Army's ability to defend against regional threats, particularly from Iraq and Iran, is constrained by its current force structure and limited manpower.
• The lack of a robust training and readiness program has hindered the army's effectiveness in modern warfare.
• The document emphasizes the importance of improving the Saudi Army's internal capabilities, including logistics, maintenance, and training, to better support its strategic objectives.

Conclusion

The Saudi Army is a key component of the kingdom's defense strategy, but it faces significant challenges in terms of manpower, equipment standardization, and operational readiness. While it has expanded its forces and modernized its equipment, these efforts have not been sufficient to meet the demands of a more complex and dynamic security environment. The army's continued reliance on foreign support and its static operational approach indicate that it is not yet fully prepared for large-scale, sustained combat operations. Improvements in training, logistics, and command structure are essential for enhancing the Saudi Army's capabilities in the 21st century.