ABSTRACT
One of the most critical factors shaping strategic relations is the fact that close military relations with Saudi Arabia are critical to the success of any large scale Western military action in defense of the Gulf. The West's ability to play a military role outside Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic has changed radically since the early 1960s. Only four Western countries are still capable of playing any significant power projection role in the Gulf: Turkey, France, Britain, and the United States. Britain and France are the only Western European nations that deploy substantial out of area forces in the Gulf, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean. The United States Marine forces afloat normally total 1,900 men or one Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU). An MAU has a reinforced infantry battalion group, including tank and artillery elements, and composite air group with AV–8B fighters and helicopters, and an additional logistics unit.
