Royal Saudi Navy

This article is about the Royal Saudi Navy. For other Royal Navies, see Royal Navy (disambiguation).
Royal Saudi Naval Forces
القوات البحرية الملكية السعودية
Royal Saudi Naval Forces emblem
Active 1919 – present
(97 years, 3 months)
Country Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Allegiance Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
Type Naval Force
Role Maritime warfare
Size 40,000 active personnel [1]
Part of

KSA Department of Defense

Headquarters Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Nickname(s) RSNF
Engagements
Commanders
Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Abdullah bin Sultan al-Sultan
Insignia
Ensign
Jack
Naval base flag

The Royal Saudi Navy is the Naval force of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Royal Saudi Navy is sometimes referred to as the RSNF (Royal Saudi Naval Forces). The Navy has about 40,000 officers and men, including Marines. The Naval headquarters is in Riyadh. The Western Fleet is based in the Red Sea with the main base at Jeddah. The Eastern Fleet is based in the Persian Gulf with headquarters at Jubail. Other naval facilities were located at Yanbu, Dammam, and Ras Mishab.

History

The Navy was founded in 1919 and began a significant expansion with United States assistance in 1972 aiming to match the Imperial Iranian Navy. Following the Iranian Revolution a further expansion programme was initiated with French assistance, this was the Sawari programme. Further vessels were purchased from Britain and France in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1980, U.S. defense contractor Science Applications International Corporation began work with the Royal Saudi Navy to design and integrate the country's own command, control, and communications (C3) centers.[8]

Ships

The navy is a modern force with foreign built ships:

HMS Makkah
King Abdul-Aziz Naval Base in Jubail, home to the eastern fleet of the Royal Saudi Navy

Frigates

It was believed the Saudis intended to order two new British-built Type 45 destroyers,[9] however production of the destroyers came to an end with no order made. Another destroyer that the Saudis are considering is the American built Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, having been briefed by the US Navy in May 2011 on the acquisition of two destroyers in a package that also includes an unknown number of Littoral Combat Ships.[10]

Corvettes

Patrol boats

Missile patrol boat Oqbah (525)
The gunboat Faisal

Minesweepers

Support vessels

Others

Many smaller patrol craft, two Danish-built royal yachts

Naval aviation

Aircraft Origin Type Versions In service Notes
Sikorsky MH-60R  USA ASW/ASuW Helicopter 10 Ordered May 2015 - armed with Hellfire missiles
AS332 Super Puma  FRA ASW helicopter B1, M1, F1S1, F1S2 20
AS565 SA Dauphin  FRA SAR helicopter 24

Future

Saudi Arabia wants to buy five German submarines for around €2.5 billion ($3.4 billion) and more than two dozen more in the future.[12]

In December 2014, the U.S. awarded Lockheed Martin a contract for a Foreign Military Sale of the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System to Saudi Arabia. With no surface ships compatible with the Mk 41 and no plans to acquire a land-based missile defense system, this indicates the country is close to purchasing a VLS-equipped surface combatant. Saudi Arabia has evaluated the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and the Multi-mission Combat Ship version of the Freedom-class littoral combat ship able to carry a VLS.[13] In October 2015, the truth came as the US informed Congress of a possible sale of Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) Ships, a variant of the LCS.[14]

Bases

Ranks

Officers
Enlisted

References

  1. ↑ "Saudi Arabia spends 25% of its budget on its military — here's what it has for the money".
  2. ↑ United Nations Operation In Somalia
  3. ↑ Saudi Gazette. "Saudi Gazette". Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Saudi Vessel Helps Thwart Attack On Turkish Ship". Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "Anti-pirates success story: Saudis chase off attackers of cargo ship". Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  6. ↑ http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ig6WH4DrES6KdGNhDQ_sDz2aJBxgD9BSNQO82
  7. ↑ Saudi Gazette. "Navy sinks 2 infiltrator vessels". Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  8. ↑ Dr. J. Robert Beyster with Peter Economy, The SAIC Solution: How We Built an $8 Billion Employee-Owned Technology Company, John Wiley & Sons (2007) p. 49
  9. ↑ The Independent, "UK seeks £2bn Saudi destroyer contract" By Michael Harrison, 9 March 2007
  10. ↑ Defense News, "Saudi Arabia Mulling BMD-Capable Destroyers" By Christopher P. Cavas , 13 June 2011
  11. ↑ "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Mark V Patrol Boats". Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "Report: Saudi Arabia Eyes Buying German Submarines". Defense News. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  13. ↑ FMS of MK 41 Vertical Launch Systems May Indicate Purchase of LCS or DDG by Saudi Arabia - Navyrecognition.com, 18 December 2014
  14. ↑ http://www.dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/kingdom-saudi-arabia-multi-mission-surface-combatant-mmsc-ships

External links

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