Major drone attack cripples Saudi oil production

[Jhhnn]

This my impression too. So basically many countries, even those as well equipped as the Saudis face a similar dilemma. The difference is, the Iranians being in the middle of a target rich region can create much more havoc than others.

Still I presume U.S. troops/engineers being sent to Saudi are going to work on anti-projectile defenses of some sort. May be expensive for the Saudis, but presumably they will ring all their vital oil installations with similar defenses as deployed by the US navy.

It's a token deployment, mostly for US domestic consumption. The consequences of a direct conflict between the US & Iran are utterly incalculable, other than the strait of Hormuz being closed to commercial shipping. The mere threat of sinking will keep them away. If it really gets ugly we're not in good shape to do much about it, either-

Iran Has Hundreds of Naval Mines. U.S. Navy Minesweepers Find Old Dishwashers and Car Parts.

As tensions heat up in the Persian Gulf, the Navy’s minesweeping fleet may once again be called into action, but its sailors say the ships are too old and broken to do the job. “We are essentially the ships that the Navy forgot.”

www.propublica.org

 

[senseamp]

Saudis are a bunch of armed Wahabbi Beverly Hillbillies. I bet everyone in their military got their rank based on their genetic proximity and loyalty to MBS (Mr Bone Saw), not their skills or intellect. When they buy billions of dollars in weapons and can't defend their cash cow industry from some drones, you know what's up.

 

[Jhhnn]

Saudis are a bunch of armed Wahabbi Beverly Hillbillies. I bet everyone in their military got their rank based on their genetic proximity and loyalty to MBS (Mr Bone Saw), not their skills or intellect. When they buy billions of dollars in weapons and can't defend their cash cow industry from some drones, you know what's up.

I see it the other way. Iran's drones are a brilliant counter to conventional military threats. I don't think there's any extant military option to deal with it effectively. Iran can pump them out by the thousands if need be, send them on their way like swarms of hornets. They're virtually undetectable until they're right on you.

 

[senseamp]

Seems like the new Saudi strategy is to put Americans in as human shields and hope that deters future attacks.

 

[K1052]

I see it the other way. Iran's drones are a brilliant counter to conventional military threats. I don't think there's any extant military option to deal with it effectively. Iran can pump them out by the thousands if need be, send them on their way like swarms of hornets. They're virtually undetectable until they're right on you.

The Iranians are pretty good at asymmetrical actions which I don't think the Saudis can even wrap their minds around if there were so inclined. We've seen it time and again in Iranian involvement across the region. Really would have been better to deal with these people across a table instead of on the ground.

 

[Jhhnn]

Seems like the new Saudi strategy is to put Americans in as human shields and hope that deters future attacks.

As it turns out our neocons were putting them up front while promising we'd protect them. The drone attacks served as an attitude adjustment. It's a huge paradigm shift in military thinking.

 

[KMFJD]

The inside scoop on the Aramco attack

This attack was classic Clausewitz: “War is the continuation of diplomacy by other means.”

en.annahar.com

Really good in depth analysis of the attack

 

[uallas5]

The inside scoop on the Aramco attack

This attack was classic Clausewitz: “War is the continuation of diplomacy by other means.”

en.annahar.com

Really good in depth analysis of the attack

Subscription only unfortunately