Pentagon to Send 200 Troops & Deploy Patriot, Sentinel Radars to Saudi

In the aftermath of the Yemeni attack on Saudi oil fields, the Pentagon has announced deployment of Patriot air defense system, Sentinel radars, as well as station 200 additional troops in Saudi Arabia.

"In light of recent attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and at their invitation US will deploy one Patriot battery, four Sentinel RADARs and approximately 200 support personnel,” Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper announced Thursday.

This deployment will augment the kingdom's air and missile defense of critical military and civilian infrastructure. This deployment augments an already significant presence of US forces in the region, Pentagon said in a statement.

The Secretary has also approved putting additional forces on Prepare To Deploy Orders (PTDO). While no decision has been made to deploy these additional forces, they will maintain a heightened state of readiness. These forces include two additional Patriot batteries and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD).