Royal Bahraini Army
Royal Bahraini Army | |
---|---|
الجيش البحريني | |
![]() Flag of the Royal Bahraini Army | |
Founded | 1969 |
Country | ![]() |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch | Army |
Role | Ground warfare |
Size | 18,000 active; 110,000 reserve[1] |
Part of | ![]() |
Garrison/HQ | Manama |
Engagements | Bahraini uprising of 2011 Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Gulf War |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa |
Notable commanders | Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Khalifa Munzir ibn Sawa Al-Tamimi |
Royal Bahraini Army is the ground force component of the Bahrain Defence Force. The army's current strength is 15,000 personnel and headed by Lieutenant General Khalifa bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa.[2]
History
Bahraini ground troops took part in the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen in the Yemeni civil war. In September 2015, five Bahraini soldiers guarding Yemeni–Saudi Arabian border were killed in unspecified circumstances.[3] Another three died in Yemen afterwards.[4]
Formation
The army consists of 3 brigades and 2 battalions:
- 1 Armoured Brigade
- 2 armoured battalions
- 1 recon battalion
- 1 Mechanized Infantry Brigade
- 2 mechanized infantry battalions
- 1 infantry battalion
- 1 Artillery Brigade
- 6 artillery batteries
- 1 air defence battalion
- 1 special forces battalion
Equipment
RBA has a mix of equipment purchases in the 1970s and early 1990s. They are currently modernizing some of the army's equipment. Most purchases in the past have been second hand from the United States or Britain. In the past few years, Bahrain began developing military capabilities, through the purchase of many military equipment from Turkey, Bahrain has bought many Armoured vehicles from Turkey, such as Otokar Arma and Otokar Akrep (Armoured combat vehicle).
State Dept. clears $2.5 billion sale of Patriot missile defense system to Bahrain. The deal would include 60 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement missiles, 36 Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missiles with canisters, nine M903 launchers, two AN/MPQ-65 radar sets, control stations and other associated equipment.[5]
Armoured vehicles
Image | Name | Class | Origin | Number | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
M60A3 TTS | Main battle tank | ![]() |
180 | Tanks equipped with modern systems for firing and surveillance |
![]() |
YPR-765 | IFV | ![]() |
75 | 25 Netherlands-origin YPR-765 ACV delivered in 1996, 42 Belgium-origin AIFV-IFV delivered in 2008, Belgium-origin AIFV-APC delivered in 2008 |
![]() |
M113 | Armoured personnel carrier | ![]() |
339 | A total of 339 M113A2 were delivered |
![]() |
Lynx | Command and recon | ![]() |
35 | |
![]() |
Panhard M3 | Armoured personnel carrier | ![]() |
110 | Ordered in 1977, most of them modified the quantity include some ambulance, CP, AEV, ARV and 81mm mortar carrier versions |
![]() |
Saxon | Armoured personnel carrier | ![]() |
10 | Purchased in the 1980s |
![]() |
AML-90 | Armoured car | ![]() |
22 | Ordered in 1977 |
Otokar Arma | Armoured vehicle | ![]() |
73 | In service from 2010 | |
Otokar | Armoured patrol vehicle | ![]() |
133 | In service 2012/13 | |
Otokar Akrep | Infantry mobility vehicle | ![]() |
21 | In service 2005 | |
![]() |
Otokar Cobra | Infantry mobility vehicle | ![]() |
15 | In service 2008 |
![]() |
Humvee | Infantry mobility vehicle | ![]() |
200+ | 2 types: BGM-71 TOW missile (44) and Browning M2HB |
![]() |
Kornet-D | Anti-tank guided missile[6] | ![]() |
10+ | The Kornet-EM is based on the chassis of the Tigr 4x4 light armoured vehicle with two retractable launcher units, each with four missiles ready to fire. In road position, the launcher units are stowed inside the vehicle. |
![]() |
Toyota Land Cruiser | Utility | ![]() |
200+ | Locally modified - VDJ78R Troop Carrier |
![]() |
Chevrolet Silverado | Multi-purpose vehicle | ![]() |
50+ | |
Interceptor | Light armoured vehicle | ![]() |
0 | 6 on order of these light protected vehicles, it is likely that a series contract of minimum 50 more vehicles would be further awarded[7] | |
Nimer-1 | MRAP | ![]() |
6 | In service since 2005 |
Air Defense Systems
Photo | Name | Origin | Type | Number | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MIM-104 Patriot | ![]() |
Surface-to-air missiles | 1 | Raytheon awarded contract to supply Patriot missiles defense systems.[8] | |
![]() |
FIM-92A | ![]() |
Man-portable air-defense system | 14-16 | Delivered 1988 along with 70 missiles |
![]() |
RBS 70 | ![]() |
Short range air defense | 14 | Delivered 1980–81 along with 161 missiles |
![]() |
Crotale | ![]() |
Surface-to-air missile | 7 | |
![]() |
MIM-23 Hawk | ![]() |
Surface-to-air missile | 8 | |
![]() |
AN/TWQ-1 Avenger | ![]() |
Surface-to-air missile | 10+ | Self-propelled surface-to-air missile system mounted on a HMMWV |
![]() |
Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon | ![]() |
Autocannon | 15 | GDF-005 units |
![]() |
Bofors 40 mm | ![]() |
Autocannon | 12 |
Artillery
Photo | Name | Origin | Type | Number | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
M110A2 howitzer | ![]() |
Self-propelled howitzer | 38 | 13 as M110A2 from Netherlands delivered in 1994,[9] 25 as M110A2 from US delivered in 1996.[10] | |
![]() |
M198 howitzer | ![]() |
Howitzer | 18 | |
L-118 | ![]() |
Field gun | 8 | ||
81mm EIMOS Integrated Mortar System | ![]() |
Mortar | 6[11] | ||
![]() |
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System | ![]() |
Multiple launch rocket system | 9 | MGM-140 ATACMS |
SR-5 | ![]() |
Multiple launch rocket system | 8+[12][13] |
Anti-tank Weapons
Photo | Name | Origin | Type | Number | Details |
120 mm BAT recoilless rifle | ![]() |
Anti tank rifle | 10+ | ||
![]() |
BGM-71C | ![]() |
Anti-tank missile | Unknown | A total of 2,724 missiles delivered since 1983 |
![]() |
FGM-148 Javelin | ![]() |
Anti-tank missile | 60 | 180+ missiles |
![]() |
Kornet-EM | ![]() |
Unknown[14] |
Weapons
Type/Class | Quantity | Origin | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Heckler & Koch G3 | West Germany | ||
FN FAL | Belgium | ||
M16A2 rifle | ? | United States | |
M4 carbine | ? | United States | |
Barrett M82 anti-materiel rifle | ? | United States | |
Heckler & Koch MP5 | ? | West Germany | |
Browning Hi-Power | Belgium | ||
FN MAG | Belgium | ||
M2 Browning | Belgium |
Additional equipment on order by the army include:
Type/Class | Quantity | Origin | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Logistics Vehicle System heavy tactical vehicle system | 100+ | United States | Transport of armored vehicles and tanks |
M939 Truck 6x6 trucks | 100+ | United States | |
MAN Truck & Bus military transport | 200+ | United States | |
Toyota Coaster troops transport | 100+ | Japan |
Retired equipment were made in the 1950s and 1960s:
Type/Class | Quantity | Origin | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Ferret Armoured Fighting Vehicle | 10 | UK | |
Alvis Saladin | 10 | UK |
See also
References
- ^ "2019 Bahrain Military Strength".
- ^ "2019 Bahrain Military Strength".
- ^ UAE, Bahrain lose 50 troops on black day for Yemen coalition. Dawn News. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ^ "Bahrain says three soldiers in Yemen coalition killed". Dunya News.
- ^ "State Dept. Clears $2.5 billion sale of Patriot missile defense system to Bahrain". 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Bahrain to purchase Russian-made mobile Kornet-EM anti-tank missiles 1408143".
- ^ "Pakistan to sell six Interceptor Vehicles to Bahrain".
- ^ GDC (11 March 2020). "Raytheon to supply Patriot Missile Defense System to Bahrain". Global Defense Corp. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. "Transfers and licensed production of major conventional weapons". Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ Defense Security Cooperation Agency. "Excess Defense Articles". Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ "Janes | Latest defence and security news". Janes.com.
- ^ GDC (10 July 2021). "NORINCO Delivers SR-5 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems To Bahrain". Global Defense Corp. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "NORINCO Delivers First Batch Of SR5 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems To Bahrain". www.defenseworld.net. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "Bahrain to purchase Russian-made mobile Kornet-EM anti-tank missiles 1408143".