China News Service, October 11 (Reporter Diao Wei) According to Reuters, in the face of the offensive by the Houthi armed forces in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is actively seeking external military assistance. So far, the United Kingdom, France, Turkey and Pakistan have made clear statements or taken actions.
Al Jazeera said that the Houthi armed forces and Saudi Arabia have had a long-standing feud. The two had fierce confrontations from 2015 to 2022. Since then, the two sides negotiated a ceasefire and maintained a state of relative calm for more than four years.
British Army tanker aerial operations. Picture/U.S. “War Zone” website
Foreign media said that on July 13 this year, Saudi fighter planes attacked the Sanaa International Airport in the capital of Yemen controlled by the Houthi armed forces. This unexpected incident broke the fragile peace situation, and the Houthi armed forces immediately declared war on Saudi Arabia.
The whole situation has intensified since then, and more and more countries are involved, and the first to respond to Saudi Arabia's request for military assistance is the United Kingdom.
According to the US "War Zone" website, the UK dispatched a "Voyager" tanker aircraft stationed at the Cyprus Air Force Base to fly to the Middle East to "support Saudi Arabia's defense operations and assist the Yemeni government forces."
The Voyager is modified from an Airbus A330 and can carry nearly 110 tons of fuel at a time to refuel dozens of fighter jets.
Foreign media believe that Saudi fighter jets supported by "Traveler" can not only take off with full ammunition, but also increase their range by 30% to 40%, thereby significantly increasing the intensity of air strikes against the Houthi armed forces.
Subsequently, France also decided to send troops to Saudi Arabia. French "Le Monde" stated that the French army dispatched the SAMP/T improved air defense system to Yanbu, an important energy port in Saudi Arabia.
The US "Defense Post" stated that SAMP/T is an air defense and anti-missile system with performance comparable to that of the US-made "Patriot". It uses a phased array radar to search for targets and can intercept short-range ballistic missiles at an altitude of 25,000 meters.
French SAMP/T air defense system. Picture/US "Defense Post"
Immediately afterwards, Pakistan and Türkiye, which had entered into a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, also extended a helping hand.
It should be noted that these two countries have previously sent certain military forces to Saudi Arabia. According to Reuters, in May this year, Pakistan deployed fighter jets, drones and long-range air defense systems in Saudi Arabia.
Foreign media said that the phased array radar equipped with the Pakistani army's long-range air defense system has a detection range of about 300 kilometers, an interceptor missile range of 260 kilometers, and a maximum shooting height of 50,000 meters. It has successfully shot down opponent's missiles and fighter jets in actual combat.
In the coming weeks, Türkiye will also send additional drones, air defense systems, electronic warfare equipment and special forces to Saudi Arabia.
Some analysts say that Turkey may deploy "Korkut" self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, "Hisar" short-range air defense missiles and "Barrier" long-range air defense systems in Saudi Arabia.
Among them, "Korkut" is equipped with twin 35mm rapid-fire cannons, which are used to intercept fish that slip through the net within 4 kilometers. "Hisar" has a range of 15 to 25 kilometers and can hit 6 incoming targets at the same time.
The "Barrier" is claimed to be able to intercept cruise missiles and supersonic aircraft at an altitude of 20,000 meters and a distance of 100 kilometers. These three pieces of equipment work together to form a multi-layered air defense and anti-missile network that covers near, medium and distant targets with firepower.
Members of the Houthis armed forces. Picture/U.S. "Foreign Affairs" magazine
Malaysia's "Asian Defense Security" website stated that according to the division of labor, Turkey will assist Saudi Arabia in protecting the western section of the strategic oil pipeline, while Pakistan will be responsible for the eastern section. A Pakistani Air Force squadron composed of 16 fighter jets has been stationed in eastern Saudi Arabia.
Some people believe that this local conflict, which was originally limited to "two countries and three parties", has shown signs of spillover, and the scale and intensity of the war may further escalate.
Foreign media pointed out that although various countries state that military aid to Saudi Arabia is only for defensive purposes, if its personnel and equipment are attacked or even suffer heavy losses, these countries may retaliate against the Houthi armed forces, thereby exacerbating tensions.
According to Al Jazeera, in late September, the Houthi armed forces launched missiles and drones at King Fahd Air Base in Saudi Arabia, causing damage to an Italian Typhoon fighter jet stationed there.
Foreign media said that Türkiye also plans to send "experienced pilots and fighter jets" to Saudi Arabia, and this move "may be only one step away from directly participating in the war." (over)
