Why Saudi Arabia's Billion-Dollar Air Defenses Still Let Houthi Weapons Through

Saudi Arabia's expensive air defense systems, including American Patriot and THAAD batteries, are unable to fully prevent Houthi missile and drone attacks due to radar blind spots, limited interceptor supply, and coordination issues. Israel's Iron Dome and other missile defense systems present potential solutions but political barriers hinder direct Saudi-Israeli military cooperation, leaving Riyadh to focus on improving detection and coordinate existing defenses.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Defense Tech, and 1 source has reported it between 14 Oct 2026 and 16 Oct 2026.