SAUDI ARABIA – BMD Requirement Leads to Arleigh Burke Consideration
As of early August 2011, AMI continues to receive information from source and press reporting that the Saudi Arabian Navy (SAN) is interested in the acquisition of up to five US Arleigh Burke class destroyers. The interest in the Arleigh Burke is due to the Kingdom’s increased interest in acquiring a sea-based Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capability. The BMD interest has grown over the past two years, largely as a result of actions by Iran and its development of long (LRBM) and medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) capable of striking anywhere within Saudi Arabia.
The SAN has been planning for a new surface combatant since 2005 (Eastern Fleet Surface Combatant – Frigate) when it began looking into its design options including both variants of the LCS, the DCNS FREMM and BAE Type 45. Since 2007, AMI sources have indicated that the SAN was most interested in both variants of LCS and further modified the requirement in 2009 for an Aegis/SPY-1F equipped version of LCS. Lockheed Martin responded with an offer to the SAN for up to eight its Freedom class LCS hulls integrated with the Lockheed Aegis/SPY-1F system for an estimated US$5B.
In early 2011, the SAN began expressing more of an interest in a Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capability. The addition of BMD and its missile armaments would surely require extensive modifications (and hull displacement) to either of the LCS candidates (3,000-ton Lockheed hull and the 2,800-ton Austal hull). Logically, a requirement for a full BMD capability has driven the Saudis to begin looking at the larger Arleigh Burke destroyer, already designed with Aegis, BMD capabilities as well as the missiles and launchers required to fulfill the overall BMD mission. In May 2011, the Saudis were briefed on the Arleigh Burke and its Aegis system.
Currently, the SAN is still considering all of its options and has an overall requirement for up to 12 surface combatants, four of the larger Eastern Fleet frigates (with a BMD requirement) and eight Medium Surface Combatants (corvettes/frigates). In the end, the SAN could end up procuring a mix of Arleigh Burkes (for the BMD mission) in conjunction with either of the LCS hulls if it chooses the US as its supplier. It must be noted that the SAN has not ruled out either the DCNS FREMM or the BAE Systems Type 45 hulls although a US Aegis/SPY-1F/SM-2/SM-3/Mk-41 VLS capability has yet to be integrated into these two hull types. Another option would be to procure the Arleigh Burke for its BMD capabilities and either the FREMM or Type 45 for non-BMD hulls to satisfy the Medium Surface Combatant requirement.
The bottom line is that the SAN has yet to make a decision on it prospective supplier and continues to modify its requirements, with the latest being the addition of BMD. A decision on the design or designs could be made by the end of 2011 if the SAN would solidify its requirements and move on to the next phase of design and construction.
Additional information on this article can be obtained by contacting Pat Bright at AMI International (Tel: + 1 360 373 2686 or E-mail: pbright@amiinter.com). Additional information on Saudi Arabia can be obtained by visiting the Saudi Arabia Country report at: http://www.amiinter.com/wnpr/saudi_arabia/index.html.