Saudi Arabian Army

Saudi Arabian Army الجيش العربي السعودي
RSA flag
Founded	1923 - Present
Country	Saudi Arabia
Allegiance	Saudi Arabia
Branch	Army
Type	Land Force
Role	Land warfare
Size	150,000
Part of	Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia
Nickname	RSLF
Motto	'God is the greatest'
Commanders
Chief of Army Staff	Lt. General Khalid bin Bandar

A column of M-113 APCs and other military vehicles of the Royal Saudi Land Force travels along a channel cleared of mines during Operation Desert Storm. , Kuwait - 1 March 1991.

The 20th Brigade of the Royal Saudi Land Force displays a 155mm GCT self-propelled gun, left, and AMX-10P infantry combat vehicles

A Saudi M60A3 tank being transferred

Saudi Arabian army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter during Operation Desert Shield.

A Saudi Arabian (HMMWV) with a QCB machine gun mounted on top depart for the seaport of Mogadishu in Somalia

The Saudi Arabian Army (Arabic: الجيش العربي السعودي‎), also called Royal Saudi Land Force (Arabic: القوات البرية الملكية السعودية‎). Is a branch of the Saudi Armed Forces. The total number of active troops is estimated to be 233,500 The current Chief of the Saudi General Staff is Field Marshal Saleh Al-Muhaya.

History

Saudi Army Who's got Saudi Arabian Flag After War Against Houthis in Jizan

1923 is considered to be the birth year of the Saudi Army, as the modern Saudi Arabia have been Unified and founded as a single state. After the discovery of oil and the meeting between King Abdulaziz and the American President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 14, 1945, the Americans became the new major ally of Saudi Arabia.

Other events that led to an expansion of the Saudi Army were the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948, the fall of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and the subsequent fears of possible Shia's actions and in the last years the first Gulf War in 1990. In the year 2000, Saudi Arabia's government spent billions of dollars to expand the Saudi Forces including the Saudi Army.^{[citation needed]}

Wars involving Saudi Army:

• The Unification of Saudi Arabia (1902–1933).
• 1948 Arab-Israeli War more than 3,000 Saudi Troops participated in combat against Israel.
• 1967 RSLF deployed over 20,000 troops in Jordan.
• 1969 Al-Wadiah War. South Yemeni Forces invaded Al-Wadiah, a Saudi Town, but later were defeated by the Saudi Army.
• 1973 during the Yom Kippur War Saudi Arabia, along with other Gulf nations, protested American intervention by raising oil prices and sent over 3,000 Saudi soldiers from the troops stationed in Jordan to fight on the Syrian frontline.
• Gulf War (1990–1991) Together with the allied forces, Saudi Armed Forces and SANG took a major part in the Battle of Khafji and the Liberation of Kuwait.
• 2009 November and December, War Anti-Houthis in South of Jizan in Saudi Arabia (Jabal Dukhan and Al-Jaberi).

Saudi Army in Jizan, November 2009

Structure

The combat strength of the Saudi Army consists of 4 armoured brigades, 17 mechanized infantry brigades, three light motorized rifle brigades, and one airborne brigade. It also has five independent artillery brigades and an aviation command. The Saudi Army deployed the 12th Armoured Brigade and 6th Mechanized Brigade at King Faisal Military City in the Tabuk area. It deployed the 4th Armoured Brigade, and 11th Mechanized Brigade at King Abdul Aziz Military City in the Khamis Mushayt area. It deployed the 20th Mechanized Brigade and 8th Mechanized Brigade at King Khalid Military City near Hafr al Batin. The 10th Mechanized Brigade is deployed at Sharawrah, which is near the border with Yemen and about 150 kilometers from Zamak.

Despite the addition of a number of units and increased mobility achieved during the 1970s and 1980s, the army's personnel complement has expanded only moderately since a major buildup was launched in the late 1960s. The army has been chronically understrength, in the case of some units by an estimated 30 to 50 percent. These shortages have been aggravated by a relaxed policy that permitted considerable absenteeism and by a serious problem of retaining experienced technicians and noncommissioned officers (NCOs). The continued existence of a separate national guard also limited the pool of potential army recruits.

Armor

• 4th (King Fah’d) Armoured Brigade
• 8th Armoured Brigade
• 12th Armoured Brigade
• 45th Armoured Brigade

the four armoured brigades, 8 mechanized

A typical Saudi armoured brigade has an armoured reconnaissance company, three tank battalions with 42 tanks each, two tank companies with 30 tanks, three tank troops with 12 tanks, a mechanized infantry battalion with 54 AIFVs/APCs, and an artillery battalion with 18 self-propelled guns. It also has an army aviation company, an engineer company, a logistic battalion, a field workshop, and a medical company.

Mechanized

• 6th Mechanized Brigade
• 8th Mechanized Brigade
• 10th Mechanized Brigade
• 11th Mechanized Brigade
• 17th Mechanized Brigade
• 18th Mechanized Brigade
• 19th Mechanized Brigade
• 20th Mechanized Brigade

The eight mechanized brigades consists of one tank battalion, three mechanized infantry battalions, an artillery battalion, and a support battalion.

A typical Saudi mechanized brigade has an armoured reconnaissance company, one tank battalion with 37-42, three mechanized infantry battalion with 54 AIFVs/APCs each, two infantry companies with a total of 33 APCs, three infantry platoons with a total of 12 APCs, and an artillery battalion with 18 self-propelled guns. It also has an army aviation company, an engineer company, a logistic battalion, a field workshop, and a medical company. It has 24 anti-tank guided weapons launchers and four mortar sections with a total of eight 81mm mortars.

Infantry

• unknown number of infantry brigades
  • 10th Infantry Brigade

Each infantry brigade consists of three motorized battalions, an artillery battalion, and a support battalion. Army brigades should not be confused with Saudi Arabian National Guard brigades, of which there are the 1st Brigade (1/2/3/4 Combined Arms Battalions) and the 2nd Brigade (5/6/7/8 Combined Arms Battalions).

Airborne

• The Airborne Brigade
  • 4th Airborne Battalion
  • 5th Airborne Battalion

The Airborne Brigade is normally deployed near Tabuk. The Airborne Brigade has two parachute battalions and three Special Forces companies. The three light motorized brigades include the 17th, 18th, and 19th. Saudi Arabia is expanding its Special Forces and improving their equipment and training to help deal with the threat of terrorism. The Special Forces have been turned into independent fighting units to help deal with terrorists, and report directly to Prince Sultan..

Artillery Battalions

• five artillery battalions
  • 14th FA (Towed, 155) Battalion
  • 15th FA (MLRS) Battalion
  • 18th Missile (MLRS) Battalion

The separate Royal Guard Regiment consists of three light infantry battalions.

Saudi Arabian Army Structure (click to enlarge).

Ranks

Officers (up) Enlisted (down)

Main equipment

Infantry weapons

Grenade, rocket, and missile systems

Model	Type	Quantity	Acquired	Origin	Notes
M203	Single shot grenade launcher			United States
FGM-148 Javelin	Anti-tank guided missile			United States
BGM-71 TOW	Anti-tank guided missile	N/A	N/A	United States	Long-range anti-tank missile

Vehicles

Logistics, support and engineering vehicles

Model	Type	Quantity	Acquired	Origin	Notes
HMMWV	Light utility vehicle	15,000+		United States

Armoured fighting vehicles

Model	Type	Quantity	Acquired	Origin	Notes
M1A2 Abrams	Main battle tank	315		United States	Will be upgraded to M1A2S standard.
M1A2S Abrams	Main battle tank	58		United States
M60A1/A3 Patton	Main battle tank	460		United States
Leopard 2A7+	Main battle tank	244		Germany
AMX-30	Main battle tank	320		France
Al-Fahd	Infantry fighting vehicle	100		Saudi Arabia
AMX-10P	Infantry fighting vehicle	570		France
M2A2 Bradley	Infantry fighting vehicle	400		United States
M113	Armoured personnel carrier	3,000		United States	364 had been upgraded
EE-11 Urutu	Armoured personnel carrier	20		Brazil
Panhard M3	Armoured personnel carrier	300		France
Panhard AML-60/90	Armoured car	300		Saudi Arabia

Artillery and missile systems

Field artillery

Model	Type	Quantity	Acquired	Origin	Notes
M224 Mortar	Mortar	N/A	N/A	United States
Brandt 60mm LR Gun-mortar	Mortar	N/A	N/A	France
M30 107 mm Mortar	Mortar	N/A		United States
Swingfire	Anti-tank guided missile	N/A	N/A	United Kingdom
PLZ-45	Self-propelled artillery	54		China
M109A2	Self-propelled artillery	280		United States
AMX-GCT	Self-propelled artillery	90		France
M198 howitzer	Howitzer	120+		United States
FH-70	Howitzer	72+		European Union
M102 howitzer	Howitzer	140		United States
Astros II MLRS	Rocket artillery	60 +		Brazil

Strategic missile systems

Model	Type	Quantity	Acquired	Origin	Notes
DF-3	Intermediate-range ballistic missile	80		China	Numbers and warheads are under great secrecy; both have never been declared by the two governments.

Army aviation

Model	Type	Quantity	Origin	Comments	Notes
Bell 406CS Combat Scout	Attack Helicopter	13		United States
AH-64D Apache	Attack Helicopter	70		United States
Sikorsky S-70A1/A1L Black Hawk	Transport Helicopter	12		United States
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk	Transport Helicopter	90		United States	A further 24 UH-60L requested for $350m.

• (Anti-Air systems belong to Air Defense Force)

External links

• RSLF official website
• CIA World Factbook
• Pakistani tanks deal
• 2006 Military spending of Saudi Forces
• latest French tanks deal

See also

• Military of Saudi Arabia
• Saudi Arabian National Guard
• King Khalid Military City
• Saudi Arabia