Speaking with Al Monitor, Non-Resident Fellow DB Des Roches discussed the Trump administration’s announcement of a $15 billion missile defense sale to Saudi Arabia soon after the kingdom signed a deal for Russia’s S-400 system. Des Roches noted, “They would be seriously challenged to employ those two systems simultaneously.” He continued, “They would have profound institutional challenges in fielding the S-400, THAAD and Patriot [air and missile defense system] at the same time.”

Also speaking with Al Monitor, Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish commented, “In this case, the sense that the US was dragging its feet on THAAD transfers would have been one of the issues driving the Saudi announcement … This would be a direct response.”