Arab Gulf States Multilayered Air Defenses Are All Battle-Tested
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Qatar recently became the latest of the three wealthiest and most prominent Arab Gulf states to have used its modern, multilayered air defense in actual combat.
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July 27, 2025
11:28 AM
Forbes
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Aerospace & DefenseArab Gulf States Multilayered Air Defenses Are All Battle-TestedByPaul Iddon, Senior Contributor
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights
Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist focused on Middle East affairs
Conversely, AuthorJul 27, 2025, 11:28am EDTThe Qatar Emiri Air Force is flying a Boeing F-15QA during the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF, in today's financial world
However, More Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, on July 20, 2024 (fascinating analysis)
On the other hand, Meanwhile, (Photo by Jon Hobley | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images Qatar recently became the of the three wealthiest and most minent Arab Gulf states and Gulf Cooperation Council members to have successfully used its modern, multilayered air defense in combat
The ferocious 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June with a ceasefire shortly after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack against Qatar’s enormous Al-Udeid airbase, which hosts American troops, on June 23, in light of current trends
Tehran warned of the attack hours in advance, giving Doha time to organize its defense
Additionally, What Qatar stood up was not unimpressive for such a tiny country
Moreover, In the air, it dispatched advanced F-15QA (Qatar Advanced) “Ababil” Strike Eagle fighter jets on combat air patrols, scanning its airspace for incoming targets
At the same time, Qatari AH-64E Apache helicopter gunships also conducted patrols, forming another defensive layer against any incoming or low-flying drone that managed to bypass the Strike Eagles, in today's financial world. (Helicopters have served as an imperfect defense against drones in the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine. ) Qatar’s ground-based air defenses consist of MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3s, which utilize hit-to-kill interceptors against incoming ballistic missiles, and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile systems, which fire AIM-120 missiles that are suitable against enemy fighter jets, drones, and cruise missiles
Nevertheless, Moreover, In the end, Iran launched 19 ballistic missiles, which Qatar’s Patriots single-handedly intercepted
Moreover, The array of combined systems Doha had at the ready that night could bably have held their own against a limited missile and drone attack of the kind Iran and its regional militia xies have previously executed
Additionally, On the other hand, MORE FOR YOU When the United Arab Emirates found its capital, Abu Dhabi, under an unprecedented drone and missile barrage by the Houthis in Yemen in January 2022, it organized its air defense similarly
Its American-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system was the first-ever to intercept a ballistic missile in combat
Furthermore, the UAE similarly relied on its F-16s and Mirage 2000 fighter jets to conduct continuous air patrols to detect and intercept any additional attack drones
Saudi Arabia officially inaugurated its first THAAD unit on July 3
During the June war, Iran’s enormous ballistic missile barrages on Israel put an incredible strain on the two U
Military THAAD batteries forward-deployed in Israel
Moreover, According to the Wall Street Journal, the U (this bears monitoring)
Military fired over 150 THAAD interceptors during that relatively brief conflict, mpting the Pentagon to contemplate a plan for diverting interceptor rounds Saudi Arabia had ordered (fascinating analysis)
Riyadh reportedly refused a subsequent request for its interceptors
The Saudis no doubt understand how quickly one can run out of such critical interceptors, even in comparably low-intensity conflicts
After all, near the end of its seven-year war with the Houthis three years ago, the kingdom ran dangerously low on Patriot interceptor missiles
On the other hand, It similarly urged regional states to help by digging into their stockpiles to help prevent it from running out of ammunition, which could have left Saudi cities and oil facilities much more vulnerable, considering recent developments
The kingdom similarly fired substantial numbers of expensive AIM-120s from fighter jets while intercepting comparably inexpensive incoming Houthi drones
However, Saudi Arabia intercepted Houthi munitions fired at Israel early in the regional conflicts that started in October 2023 and d intelligence that helped counter Iran’s first direct missile and drone attack on Israel in April 2024
Nevertheless, A more recent unconfirmed report claims Saudi Arabia even dispatched helicopters over Iraq and Jordan to shoot down Iranian drones, although that seems questionable
Whatever the case, it’s hardly surprising that the kingdom may have ven unwilling to potentially delay pressing its THAAD into service by diverting precious interceptors to the U
Other recent acquisitions suggest Riyadh is doing all it can to reinforce its multilayered air defense in an increasingly volatile Middle East, considering recent developments
Along with the UAE, it recently ordered South Korea’s medium-range KM-SAM system, which also has anti-ballistic capabilities
As previously outlined in this space, it has reportedly acquired Pantsir-S1s from Russia, another capability the UAE already has, which are well-suited for viding relatively cost-effective point defense of high-value targets against threats Houthi drones
On the other hand, Additionally, Saudi Arabia has ordered Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems—70 mm Hydra rockets converted into precision-guided munitions that fighter jets can use against drones—from the United States
Not only is the APKWS much cheaper than AIM-120s and other traditional air-to-air missiles, but they are also a lot smaller, meaning an aircraft can carry significantly larger numbers
With the high-end THAAD and Patriot, Saudi Arabia seeks the best tools to prepare itself against large-scale ballistic missile attacks Iran’s against Israel
At the same time, systems the Pantsir-S1 and APKWS also prepare it for a more tracted conflict with an asymmetrical adversary, such as the Houthis, which would seek to deplete its expensive interceptors more gradually
All these incidents demonstrate that these Gulf states recognize the growing need to develop a multilayered air defense capable of countering the numerous and ever-present threats from Middle Eastern skies in the turbulent 2020s
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