MOSCOW. Sept 19 (Interfax) - The United States had deployed a powerful air defense network in Saudi Arabia, yet it failed to prevent the strike on Saudi oil facilities for some reason, a senior source in the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
"The question is how the powerful air defense network could have missed dozens of drones and cruise missiles," the source wondered.
"A powerful air defense system with full radar coverage had been deployed in recent years in Saudi Arabia, especially in its northern parts, thanks to the United States," he said.
"The northern border of Saudi Arabia is being protected by 88 U.S. Patriot air defense missile launchers, including 36 PAC-2 and 52 of the newest PAC-3", the source said.
Three guided-missile destroyers of the Navy are stationed off the Saudi coast in the Gulf, he said. The destroyers are armed with the Aegis missile defense systems and 100 CM-2 missiles, the source said.