ABSTRACT
Given Saudi Arabia's defense requirements and vulnerabilities, it is clear why so much U.S. and Saudi attention focused on Saudi air defense after the shah's fall. Saudi Arabia's mix of vulnerabilities created the need for an exceptionally efficient and credible Saudi air defense system for the 1980s. To be effective as a deterrent or defense, this system had to be able to guard against sudden raids or saturation attacks on a 24-hour basis and to offer broad coverage over a wide area.
