How Did the War Expose Riyadh’s Inability to Build a Real Army Despite Massive Military Spending?

Exclusive – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:

Military experts and observers affirmed that Saudi Arabia’s recent resort to several countries to obtain military support and strategic equipment to protect its military and oil facilities clearly reflects the failure of its long-term defensive strategy to achieve the desired results, despite topping the list of the world’s largest defense spenders over the past years.

The observers explained that reports issued by global peace research institutes have long shown hundreds of billions of dollars flowing from Riyadh to Western defense conglomerates to purchase the latest fighter jets and advanced missile defense systems. However, the real field test has proven a stark disparity between the massive volume of spending and the results on the ground in the confrontation with the Yemeni forces.

They pointed out that the expensive foreign arsenal collided with asymmetric warfare methods, high local adaptability, and domestic defense industries of low-cost drones and ballistic missiles.

They considered that the field efficiency demonstrated by the Yemeni military capabilities—through missiles and drones reaching sensitive targets deep inside Saudi Arabia and hitting them with precision that bypassed defense systems—indicates a complete change in the balance of power. Any escalation Saudi Arabia might undertake against Sana’a will not be easy; rather, the price will be heavy for Saudi Arabia, affecting its economy, capabilities, reputation, and influence. It may also achieve rapid counterproductive results, as happened during the past weeks and years.

The experts concluded that the field reality has revealed a fundamental truth: “Buying weapons is entirely different from building military capabilities.” They affirmed that true national defense cannot be purchased from abroad with billions, no matter how much. Riyadh has failed to build a self-sufficient force capable of protecting its borders and securing its territory against an opponent possessing effective military capabilities, determination, tactical flexibility, rugged mountainous terrain, and high combat expertise.