For one KSA needs more tanks and armoured vehicles..these can be made under licence..and 500 T-90MS and a 1000 armoured vehicles shouldn't surprise anyone.. made in KSA Kalachnikovs can also be expected as well as the Kornet ATGM..Russia is studying the amount of ToT it can provide KSA with.. mostly after seeing what the US can offer and the huge amounts of money being involved.. This $3.5 billion is just a preliminary contract to test the Russian will to transfer technology and help localise production in KSA..the arms purchases can go up to $20 billion or more as soon as Russia is tested and proves genuine and reliable in ToT and localising production in KSA.. we should not be surprised either if there are some significant JVs coming alive, where Russian systems will be merged with western tech and commercialised worldwide.. this will be something like a loophole for Russia to get some new Western tech by going around the sanctions.. it will be a win/win situation where both KSA and Russia will get advanced tech and make a lot of money..like some Russian expert was saying lately about weapons deals between Russia and KSA..
Exactly. Obligatory ToT and local manufacturing is the way forward. Having Russia as a partner in this important process cannot be a negative thing. 3.5 billion is not much either for KSA.
As for tanks KSA is quite impenetrable for any outside invader (due to size and geography) outside of the Northeastern part and from there on access to coastal Eastern Province. That was the supposedly planned route of Saddam Hussein and the only available route from the North. That itself is a highly strategic area of KSA but nevertheless tanks should not be our priority unless locally manufactured. Luckily numerous mountains ranges across KSA and deserts, let alone sheer size make an invasion a nightmare for outsiders.
The highlighted part of your post is what I look most forward to. The recent cooperation with Antonov proves how interesting such a combination can become if done correctly.
Don't forget that Russia will probably play a role in the nuclear power sector of KSA. Cooperation is already occurring with a lot of powers.
2 year old news:
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/...sign-cooperation-agreement-on-nuclear-energy-
https://sputniknews.com/business/201608301044778717-russia-saudi-arabia-rosatom/
All done under MBS. Times are changing and for the better and quick. It's a great thing and long overdue as the potential is enormous.
what are they going to buy from them?
Russian women, vodka and some rusty AK47's. Maybe even an old babushka.
every thing russia give west can give better
Well, is it not nice that KSA is able to and understands that cooperation is not only limited to the West?
of course it doesn't
then drop a good ol free fall dumb nuke on them, do something.
Kindly return to your natural environment and quit the daydreaming.
In other news you know what is much more realistic (1 billion times more realistic if not more)? Eventual deportation of all your likes from the GCC. Can't wait! The good ones and civilized ones can stay for all I care but otherwise the swamp must be drained as your former deity used to say.
