“The Saudi facility had air defenses, but they are old and their radar has only about a 20 km range.”
i really wondered about what that situation was ... one would think the SA would be smart enough and care enough to have the best air defenses in the world protecting their world’s largest refineries from nearly by hostile regimes ...
seems like the U.S., and maybe even Israel would be willing to sell them whatever they need (of course with embedded radio-actuated software self-destruct mechanisms in case they should “lose” any of it) ...
SA can afford the best, but they have to be expertly manned and maintained something Arab cultures don’t do well.
Without dedicated expert manning & maintaining its expensive junk!
The Saudis have long range radar on the coast, but they were all looking south at the Strait of Hormuz where the latest trouble has been.
The attack came from the north. We don’t have AWACs in the area, they are over Syria and western Iraq, very busy theater.