Saudi Arabia F-15SA Deal Details Released

umair

Peace Enforcer
A JFI anecdote regarding corruption in Saudi arms deals. This practice dates back to the 60s when Saudis started to acquire (then) modern fighter aircraft.
What I'm posting below, is authentic as the source is a retired PAF air cmdr who was a part of our advisory team to the Saudis and has mentioned this incident in his book.
In 1966 or thereabouts, the Saudis wanted to go for a Mach busting fighter. They asked for the PAF's advice in the evaluation and selection of a fighter from amongs the 3 candidates on offer. The Ee Lightning, Northrop F-5A and the Lockheed starfighter. All 3 companies were to give tech presentations about their aircraft to a joint Pak-Saudi evaluation committee. The Saudi members (led by a Prince) at all 3 presentations would invariably show up when the presentations were nearing the end or after, while the PAF members would have been there from the start.
Coming to the point, the Saudis left all the work of drawing up the reccommendation report to the PAF guys. The PAF component after having attended all the presentations and having gone through the technical data of the offers, strongly recommended the F-5A for acquisition in view of it's multirole ability, with the F-104 a distant second and the Lightning an even more distant third. Imagine their surprise when they found out that the RSAF was going for the Lightnings. Now the PAF advisory team lead, one day soon after catches up with the Saudi Prince who was the Saudi team lead and inquires as to the reason behind the Lightning's acquisition. The answer is pure bedouin logic: ''You recommended the F-5, but you yourself operate the 104 Starfighter which means it is better than the F-5. But we cannot buy the Starfighter as it would imply you have too much influence on us and that we aped you. So we went for the Lightning.''
It was only a few years later back in Pakistan that the advisory team's hunch turned true, when one of them came to know from an old contact in the RSAF that the prince was richly rewarded by Ee for the Lightning contract.
 

TaranisAttack

Banned Member
Ah, thanks alot for the info there. I had absolutely no idea that any nation, even one as powerful and technologically advanced as the USA could have the ability to just "shut down" the aircrafts of another country thousands of miles away, even though they manufactured the aircrafts for SA.

One does expect the nation buying the arms to have, or at least try to develop a complete understanding and CONTROL of the hardware that they're purchasing from another nation. Or at least include conditions for complete control in the negotiations....
The US can't shut the planes down, its a complete misconception. What the US can do is refuse to supply spares and support, and if you cant keep the aircraft flying, then its is essentially useless.

Take a look at this link.

Blair hit by Saudi 'bribery' threat - Times Online

The investigation was called off.

Saudis Take Delivery of First Typhoons - Defense News

So yes BAE was bribing the Saudi's and they were fined by both the UK and the US for it.

FRONTLINE/WORLD: The Business of Bribes: BAE Will Pay $450 Million to Settle Long-Running Bribery Case | PBS
Looked more like an easy way for the US government to steal $450 million of someone else's money.
 
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