Al-Watah ballistic missile base
| Al-Watah ballistic missile base | |
|---|---|
  Al-Watah ballistic missile base | |
| Coordinates | 24°12′49″N 44°42′07″E / 24.213691°N 44.701952°E |
| Type | Missile base |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force |
| Controlled by | Saudi Arabia |
| Site history | |
| Built | 2007 |
Al-Watah ballistic missile base is a ballistic missile facility near the town of Al-Watah, Saudi Arabia, 200 km west-southwest of Riyadh, in the low but quite rocky mountains. [1] The analysts think that the base was built no earlier than 2008. The communication tower of the base is situated at coordinates: 24°12′49″N 44°42′07″E / 24.213691°N 44.701952°E. The base has several underground entry gates, parking slots for mobile launchers and two large launch pads that are identical to ones that can be seen at Chinese DF-3 (CSS-2) Dongfeng missile bases. The liquid-fueled DF-3A is an early Chinese nuclear weapon Intermediate-range ballistic missile and is believed to have a range of 2,500 - 2,800 km with a 2,000 kg warhead.[2]
The launch pads' marks and configuration from satellite images[3] show that the base is 'targeting Iran and Israel with ballistic missiles'.[4]
References
- ↑ Sean O'Connor - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. "Saudi ballistic missile site revealed", IHS Jane's Defence Weekly, 10 July 2013.
- ↑ SinoDefence "DongFeng 3 (CSS-2) Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile", sinodefence, 27 February 2009.
- ↑ Colin Freeman - The Telegraph "Saudi Arabia 'targeting Iran and Israel with ballistic missiles", The Telegraph, 10 July 2013.
- ↑ Cheryl K. Chumley - The Washington Times "Saudi Arabia targeting Israel, Iran with ballistic missiles, satellite images show", The Washington Times, 12 July 2013.