Who is going to attack Mecca and Medina during Hajj? Saudi Arabia deploys American Patriot missiles

Some pictures released by Saudi Arabia show that American Patriot missile defense systems have been deployed to protect Mecca and Medina. The Saudi Arabian Defense Ministry has released pictures of the Raytheon MIM-104 Patriot missile system deployed to protect Mecca and the Grand Mosque during the ongoing Haj pilgrimage. The same system has been used earlier to prevent missile attacks by Houthi rebels. According to reports, the US missile defense system has been deployed to ensure the safety of pilgrims in view of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, especially at a time when regional tensions and the possibility of air threats are increasing.

According to the report, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has decided to provide multi-layer security to strengthen the security of about 15 lakh Haj pilgrims this year, in which advanced air defense systems and surveillance systems have been deployed. Apart from this, coordination between civil police and ground military forces has been increased. The deployment of the Patriot air defense system reflects Saudi Arabia’s dependence on the US for technology, which has been a pillar of its defense strategy.

Patriot missile system to protect Hajj pilgrims
The Saudi Defense Ministry has written a caption in Arabic above the pictures of the Patriot missile system. It reads, ‘Air Defense Force … an eye that never sleeps. Its purpose is to protect Muslim pilgrims.’ After the deployment of the Patriot missile system, some social media users speculated that this is a show of strength by Saudi Arabia to show Yemen’s Houthi rebels, against whom the kingdom has been fighting since 2015. A user named Abdullah wrote in a comment, “May Allah strengthen you and thwart the Houthis.” Let us tell you that in 2022, the US approved the sale of 300 Raytheon Patriot MIM-104E GEM-T missiles to Saudi Arabia as part of a $3.05 billion defense package to retaliate against the Houthis.

The MIM-104 Patriot Air Defense System is a mobile surface-to-air missile system developed by Ratheon. This system is capable of detecting and destroying ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones and other aerial threats. Its PAC-3 variant includes advanced radars and interceptors, which can effectively intercept even high-speed targets. The maximum speed of this system is around 160 kilometers, and it can hit targets flying at speeds of over 6,000 km/h. In the past years, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched several missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, some of which have targeted areas around Mecca. This is believed to be the reason why Saudi Arabia has deployed the Patriot missile system to ensure the safety of pilgrims during the Hajj.