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as mentioned imp of geograhy and trade route..
do you think USA will allow to leave its control on that ..when world dyanmis shifting to asia in next few decades
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with most of equipment AF from USA
Navy from france and germany .. will they allow SA dominace in euporan waters
KSA and the GCC has to project power in its own immediate neighborhood especially when that neighborhood (in this case seas) are so crucial economically, politically, strategically and in terms of trade. You rarely find such important waters in the world.
There is no other option for an ambitious country like KSA or an ambitious organization like the GCC. If not then KSA and the GCC might as well handle over sovereignty to some power like the US to do all the work for them with certain obligations etc.
USA will have no problem with KSA and the GCC getting more powerful in their OWN immediate region as long as we still have cordial ties with the West. I see no reason to why we should cut ties to the West let alone anyone else. GCC is a perfect example of a region that lies very strategically and that has warm and close relations with the West, China, India etc.
We are not talking about any dominance here. It's just about projecting power and having a presence in your own immediate region. The Eastern Mediterranean Sea is not the key area here but obviously the Red Sea, Gulf, Arabian Sea and Northern/Eastern Indian Ocean. BUT with a powerful navy you can also extend your presence to the nearby Eastern Mediterranean Sea. From the Northern Red Sea (Northern Hijaz) It's just a stone throw in ME geographical terms at least.
Of course this will be done together with our neighbors and brothers and sisters in nearby Egypt and hopefully a future free Syria. Yes, Israel has a strong presence in that region of the Mediterranean Sea but that should not stop any plans.
So Sir what are the future plans if you want to play some bigger roles you would need lot more Frigates than you currently have and also you would need Cruise Missile Destroyers and lots of Submarines and you don't seem even to close to ordering them so what are you basically trying to do ?
Well, rest assured that something on the navy front is going to happen and this will be a gradual and long-term process. It's not something that you do overnight. KSA has had years to think about how to strengthen the navy hence all those rumors in the past few years.
Right now our navy is nothing to write home about. There is a big, sorry even a gigantic difference, between the quality of our air force and our navy for instance. That gap should not be that big let alone be there in a ideal world.
The GCC as a whole will invest more in their navies. I have no doubt about this. Especially as the air forces can hardly get any better.
Hopefully in 10 years time or so when the GCC becomes even more powerful (and maybe expands with Yemen and Jordan) we will merge into 1 big country. But that's another discussion.