DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Saudi F-15s are where they are not supposed to be

**TorryJens** · 01-15-2012, 06:38 PM

One of the conditions for American F-15s to be sold to Saudi Arabia is that they wouldn't be based in Tabuk. Now it seems that a recent midair collision between an F-15 and a French Air Force Mirage over Tabuk shows that this condition is being ignored.

http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/details.php?id=961327
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=55326

Interestingly the Saudi F-15S is a variant of the F-15E which to all other appearances is a two-seater. The news piece states that two French pilots and THE Saudi pilot ejected safely, so either they're lying when they say there was no fatalities, or the Saudis are flying F-15S w/o a WSO (wizzo - weapons systems officer) or they're not flying F-15S and the news got it wrong or something else is going on. At the same time there are only THREE types of active service Mirage aircraft in the French inventory. The M-2000D, the M-2000N and the M-2000B. The -B is trainer while the -D has ONLY a nuclear strike mission and the -N is a dedicated ground attack role.

Odd they would employ either trainers or nuclear strike craft but ground attack missions against......who?

In either case Saudi Arabia is basing their F-15S where they are not supposed to be which is 129 miles according to Flightpedia (129 statute, 112 nautical miles).

01-15-2012, 06:38 PM	#1
TorryJens Join Date Nov 2008 Posts 4,494 Senior Member	Saudi F-15s are where they are not supposed to be One of the conditions for American F-15s to be sold to Saudi Arabia is that they wouldn't be based in Tabuk. Now it seems that a recent midair collision between an F-15 and a French Air Force Mirage over Tabuk shows that this condition is being ignored. http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/details.php?id=961327 http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=55326 Interestingly the Saudi F-15S is a variant of the F-15E which to all other appearances is a two-seater. The news piece states that two French pilots and THE Saudi pilot ejected safely, so either they're lying when they say there was no fatalities, or the Saudis are flying F-15S w/o a WSO (wizzo - weapons systems officer) or they're not flying F-15S and the news got it wrong or something else is going on. At the same time there are only THREE types of active service Mirage aircraft in the French inventory. The M-2000D, the M-2000N and the M-2000B. The -B is trainer while the -D has ONLY a nuclear strike mission and the -N is a dedicated ground attack role. Odd they would employ either trainers or nuclear strike craft but ground attack missions against......who? In either case Saudi Arabia is basing their F-15S where they are not supposed to be which is 129 miles according to Flightpedia (129 statute, 112 nautical miles).
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