Saudi Arabia became the first Middle East nation to publicly exhibit its nuclear-capable missiles. The long-range, liquid propellant DF-3 ballistic missile (NATO designated CSS-2), purchased from China 27 years ago, was displayed for the first time at a Saudi military parade Tuesday, April 29, in the eastern military town of Hafar Al-Batin, at the junction of the Saudi-Kuwaiti-Iraqi borders.
The DF-3 has a range of 2,650 km and carries a payload of 2,150 kg. It is equipped with a single nuclear warhead with a 1-3 MT yield.
Watched by a wide array of Saudi defense and military dignitaries, headed by Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister Salman bin Abdulaziz, the parade marked the end of the large-scale “Abdullah’s Sword” military war game.
Conspicuous on the saluting stand was the Pakistani Chief of Staff Gen. Raheel Sharif alongside eminent visitors, including King Hamad of Bahrain and Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi.
DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources report the event was deliberately loaded with highly-significant messages, the foremost of which was that the Middle East is in the throes of a nuclear arms race in the wake of the Iranian program.
1. The oil kingdom was saying loud and clear that it has obtained nuclear missiles and is ready to use them in the event of an armed conflict with Iran.
Knowing the Arab mindset as well as any DOD analyst, probably better than, I will say the world is now on thin ice as never before. Arabs in particular, are all about saving-face. Even more so than their Persian cousins. Now, if a goat farts in Tehran it will be seen in Riyadh as an offense against the King deserving a first strike with a NICBM. Consequences are … InshaAllah.
Here is how desperate the Arabs are in this aspect. Remember Saddam’s WMD ? He wanted everyone to believe he had plenty and that is how we were duped into attacking him. He thought if everyone believed he had them, no one would dare, even the USA. Too bad Zero wasn’t in office then because we wouldn’t have.There would still be a semblance of balanced powers in SW Asia and the “Arab Spring” (arab apocalypse) would not have happened. The reason all Arab and Muslims cultures must have brutal dictatorial governments is because of what happens when they don’t. They are not capable of self-governance. They are barely capable of governance with a dictator.