The Harold Wilson Government, Airwork Services Limited, and the Saudi Arabian Air Defence Scheme, 1965—73
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10074223 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nikolas Gardner (USAF Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2007 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 345-363 |
| Publication date | 2007-03-19 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Contemporary History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-0094 • E-ISSN: 1461-7250 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0022009407075547 |
| OpenAlex | W1970202262 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
This article examines the role of Airwork Services Limited in the Saudi Arabian Air Defence Scheme, a package of military aircraft, air defences and support services provided by a consortium of British companies to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1966 to 1973. It argues that Harold Wilson's government saw the scheme as a means of boosting British exports while maintaining good relations with Saudi Arabia, in the context of growing limitations to Britain's military presence East of Suez. Ultimately, however, Airwork, the principal service provider, proved unable to meet Saudi demands, necessitating the intervention of the British government on a scale it had originally hoped to avoid. In addition to shedding light on Anglo-Saudi relations, the article provides insights into the benefits and limitations of private military companies as tools of foreign policy
Archaeology · Business · Context (archaeology · Government (linguistics · Military service · Political science · History · Islamic Studies and History · Law · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts · Public Administration · Socioeconomic Development in MENA
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2025 (6) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |