Carnegie Endowment for International Peace:
While enthusiasm for military transformation is growing, the changes that the Saudi leadership is seeking remain unachieved. The Transformation Team within the Saudi ministry of defense (SMoD) under the leadership of Khalid Al-Biyari, a relatively new assistant defense minister, is overseeing the planned integration of SMoD armed forces—land forces (army), air force, navy, air defense, and the strategic missile force—to function under something akin to the UK’s joint operational command (JOC) based in its Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ). Jointery—armed service branches operating in coordination under an inter-service command—is essential to modern war-fighting. Yet, the SMoD continues to exclude the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) the most advanced Saudi armed force, as well as the Presidency of Public Security (the PPS) and the Ministry of Interior. SANG’s continued autonomous status reflects hesitancy about provoking its tribal base, while the PPS is shaping up to be Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s praetorian guard at the expense of what’s left of the Ministry of Interior.
