Royal Saudi Navy
Royal Saudi Naval Force | |
---|---|
البحرية السعودية | |
Founded | 1789 (historical)[1] 1960 (official)[2] |
Country | Saudi Arabia |
Type | Navy |
Role | Naval warfare |
Size | 13,500 approx. (inc. 3,000 marines) [3][4] |
Part of | Royal Armed Forces |
Parent agency | |
Engagements | List of wars involving RSNF |
Decorations | Naval Forces Medal - 2nd Class V. Admiral Fahd al-Ghofaily |
Notable commanders | Abu al-A'war Sikorsky MH-60R |
The Royal Saudi Navy (
The Navy operates from multiple bases along the 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi) Saudi coastline, with two fleets.
- The Eastern Fleet operates in the Persian Gulf from the King Abdulaziz Naval Base at Jubail.
- The Western Fleet operates in the Red Sea from the King Faisal Naval Base at Jeddah.
Each fleet has a full military capability including warships, support ships, administrative and technical support, naval aviation, marines and special security units.[7]
History
The Navy was founded in 1960
Ships
The navy is a modern force with foreign built ships:
- French-built frigates and support vessels
- U.S.-built corvettes and patrol boats
- British-built Sandown-class minehunters
Frigates
4 Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) ordered by Royal Saudi Navy in 2019. The ship is derived from the Freedom-class littoral combat ship but with upgraded features. The deliveries of the MMSC will begin in June 2023.[10]
Photo | Number | Ship | Builder | Completed | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marinette Marine | On order | ||||
On order | |||||
On order | |||||
On order |
3
Photo | Number | Ship | Builder | Commissioned | Status | Namesake |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
812 | Al Riyadh | DCN Lorient | 2002 | In active service | Riyadh City | |
814 | Makkah | 2003 | In active service | Makkah City | ||
816 | Dammam | 2004 | In active service | Dammam City |
4
It was believed the Saudis intended to order two new British-built
Corvettes
5 Avante-class corvettes ordered by Royal Saudi Navy in 2018. The corvettes built by Spanish company Navantia.
Photo | Number | Ship | Builder | Completed | Status | Namesake |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
828 | Al Jubail[14] | Navantia | 2022 | Al Jubail City | ||
830 | Al Diriyah[15] | Fitting out | Al Diriyah City | |||
832 | Hail[16] | Launched | Hail City | |||
834 | Jazan[17] | Launched | Jazan City | |||
836 | Unaizah | Launched | Unaizah City |
4 Badr-class corvettes built in the United States in 1981–83, based in the Persian Gulf, full load displacement of 1,038 tons, armament of eight Harpoon SSM, one 76 mm OTO Melara DP gun, one 20 mm Phalanx CIWS, two 20 mm guns, one 81 mm mortar, two 40 mm grenade launchers, two triple 12.75 inch torpedo tubes.
Patrol boats
24 Al Sadiq-class patrol boats built in the United States (Peterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin) 1972–1980, full load displacement of 495 tons, armed with four Harpoon SSM, one 76 mm OTO gun, one 20 mm Phalanx CIWS, two 20 mm guns, one 81 mm mortar, two 40 mm grenade launchers, two triple 12.75 inch torpedo tubes.
Photo | Number | Ship | Builder | Completed | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
511 | As-Siddiq (الصّدّيق) | Peterson Builders | 1980 | In active service | |
513 | Al-Farouq (الفاروق) | 1981 | In active service | ||
515 | Abdul-Aziz | 1981 | In active service | ||
517 | Faisal | 1981 | In active service | ||
519 | Khalid | 1982 | In active service | ||
521 | Amr | 1982 | In active service | ||
523 | Tariq | 1982 | In active service | ||
525 | Ouqbah | 1982 | In active service | ||
527 | Abu Obaidah | 1982 | In active service |
- Possible sale of 30 Mark V Special Operations Craft[18][needs update?]
Minesweepers
3
Photo | Number | Ship | Builder | Completed | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
420 | Al Jawf | Vosper Thornycroft
|
1991 | In active service | |
422 | Shaqra | 1993 | In active service | ||
424 | Al Kharj | 1994 | In active service |
Support vessels
2 French built Boraida-class replenishment oiler (modified Durance-class replenishment ships built by CN La Ciotat, with a helicopter deck aft and hangars for 2 helicopters.
Photo | Number | Ship | Builder | Completed | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
902 | Boraida | CN La Ciotat | 1984 | In active service | |
904 | Yunbou | 1985 | In active service |
Others
Many smaller patrol craft, two Danish-built royal yachts
- Prince Abdul Aziz (1983–84) – built by Helsingør Værft
- Al Yamana (Built for Iraq 1981; entered service in Saudi Arabia in 1988)
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk | USA | ASW/ASuW Helicopter | MH-60R
|
10 | Ordered May 2015 – armed with Hellfire missiles |
Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma | FRA | ASW helicopter | B1, M1, F1S1, F1S2 | 20 | |
AS565 SA Dauphin | FRA | SAR helicopter | AS565 SA | 24 |
Marines
The Royal Saudi Navy maintains two, 10,000-man marine brigades consisting of three battalions each. The brigades are assigned to the Western Fleet headquartered in Jeddah and the Eastern Fleet headquartered in Jubail. The brigades are equipped with 500 Pegaso BMR AFVs and HMMWVs.
Future
Germany will supply 48 patrol boats to Saudi Arabia within the framework of its border security project, a cost of 1.5 billion euros has been noted for this deal. Lürssen has already started building 15 patrol vessels for the project's first phase. The patrol boats to be procured under the current contract come in two forms. The first are the 'TNC 35' models, which are 35-meter-long and are propelled by two diesel engines with a combined output of 7,800 kilowatts. The boat can reach speeds of up to 40 knots. The second models, 'FPB 38' are 38-meter-long and can reach speeds of up to 31 knots. As of November 2016 1 TNC 35 has been delivered to Saudi Arabia.[19]
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.[20]
In December 2014, the U.S. awarded
In July 2018 it was announced that Navantia had signed an agreement with the Royal Saudi Navy for the production of 5 Avante 2000 Corvettes with the last to be delivered by 2022 at a cost of approximately 2 billion Euros.[23]
Bases
- Jeddah (Al-Qadima military port)– Red Sea base home to the navy's Western fleet for frigates and 2 missile boats, 1 replenishing ship and 1 patrol minesweeper; located north of the King Faisal Naval Base air station and south of the container port area
- Jubail – Arab Gulf base is home to the navy's Eastern fleet; smaller base home to corvettes, replenishing ship remaining missile boats and minesweepers
- Dammam (Ras Al-Ghar military port)[24] – Arab Gulf home port for the Saudi Royal family's two Royal Yachts
Ranks
- Officer ranks
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Royal Saudi Navy[25] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
فريق أول Fariq 'awal
|
فريق Fariq
|
لواء Liwa |
عميد Amid |
عقيد Aqid |
مقدم Muqaddam |
رائد Ra'id |
نقيب Naqib |
ملازم أول Mulazim awwal
|
ملازم Mulazim
|
- Other ranks
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Royal Saudi Navy[25] |
No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
رقيب أول Raqib 'awal |
رقيب Raqib |
وكيل رقيب Wakil raqib |
عريف Earif |
جندي أول Jundiun awwal |
جندي Jundiun |
Incidents
On 30 January 2017 Al-Madinah was attacked by
References
- ^ George Snavely Rentz (1948). The Beginnings of Unitarian Empire in Arabia. University of California, Berkeley. p. 213.
- ^ "Royal Saudi Naval Force". Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-032-01227-8.
- ISBN 978-1-5107-6381-4.
- ^ ISBN 9780313387005. Archivedfrom the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ "Bahrain – McGill School of Computer Science". Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ "sdarabia". sdarabia.com. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
- ISBN 9781598845716. Archivedfrom the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ 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
- ^ "Lockheed Inks 2 Billion Contract For Saudi Frigate". 20 December 2019. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Al Riyadh (F3000S Sawari II) Class, Saudi Arabia". www.naval-technology.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ The Independent Archived 26 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, "UK seeks £2bn Saudi destroyer contract" By Michael Harrison, 9 March 2007
- ^ Defense News[dead link], "Saudi Arabia Mulling BMD-Capable Destroyers" By Christopher P. Cavas , 13 June 2011
- ^ "Saudi Arabia signs deal with Spanish firm for five warships". Arabian Business. 20 July 2018. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ Writer, DP Staff. "Navantia Launches Second Avante 2200 Corvette Al Diriyah For Royal Saudi Naval Forces". DefPost. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ "Navantia Launched 3rd Avante 2200 Corvette For Royal Saudi Navy". 29 March 2021. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "RSNF Commander Patronizes Ceremonial Launching of His Majesty's Ship "Jazan"". Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Mark V Patrol Boats". Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
- ^ Ghazanfar Ali Khan (4 August 2016). "KSA set to get 48 German patrol boats". Arab News. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
- ^ "Report: Saudi Arabia Eyes Buying German Submarines". Defense News. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
- ^ FMS of MK 41 Vertical Launch Systems May Indicate Purchase of LCS or DDG by Saudi Arabia Archived 22 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Navyrecognition.com, 18 December 2014
- ^ "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) Ships" (Press release). Defense Security Cooperation Agency. 20 October 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia signs deal with Spanish firm for five warships". Arabian Business. 20 July 2018. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-429-96600-2. Archivedfrom the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ LCCN 93028506. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ Gibbons-Neff, Thomas (6 February 2017). "Video emerges of suicide boat ramming Saudi frigate". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
See also
Sources
- Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995