Saudi Navy

The Royal Saudi Navy is the Naval force of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Navy has about 12,000 officers and men, including 1200 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 the headquarters at Jubail. Other naval facilities were located at Yanbu, Dammam, and Ras al Mishab.

History

The Navy was founded in 1960 and began a significant expansion with US 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 1990's. 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.^[1]

Ships

The navy is a modern force with French built frigates, US built corvettes and British built Sandown class minehunters.

Frigates

3 Al Riyadh class frigates modified versions of the La Fayette class frigate, full load 4,725 tons, armed with eight MBDA Exocet MM40 Block II surface-to-surface missiles, two eight-cell Sylver vertical launch systems for the Eurosam (MBDA and Thales) Aster 15 surface-to-air missile, main gun is the Oto Melara 76/62 Super Rapid, there are four 533mm aft torpedo tubes. The ships are armed with the DCNS F17 heavyweight anti-submarine torpedo.

The helicopter deck at the stern has a single landing spot for a medium size helicopter, such as the Eurocopter AS 365 Dauphin or the larger AS 532 Cougar or NH90 helicopters.

4 Al Medinah class frigates ships based in the Red Sea, built in France in mid 1980s, full load 2,610 tons, 8 Otomat SSM, 1 8-cell Crotale SAM (26 missiles total), 1 100mm/44 DP, 2 40 mm AA, 4 torpedo tubes, aft helicopter deck and hangar; 1 Dauphin helicopter.

It is also believed the Saudis intend to order two new British built Type 45 Destroyers in the near future.

Corvettes

4 Badr class corvettes built in the United States built 1981-83, based in the Persian Gulf, full load 1,038 tons, 8 Harpoon SSM, 1 76 mm OTO DP, 1 20 mm Phalanx CIWS, 2 20 mm, 1 81 mm mortar, 2 40 mm grenade launchers, 2 triple 12.75 inch torpedo tubes

Patrol Boats

9 Al Sadiq class patrol boats built in the United States 1972-1980, full load 495 tons, 4 Harpoon SSM, 1 76 mm OTO, 1 20 mm Phalanx CIWS, 2 20 mm, 1 81 mm mortar, 2 40 mm grenade launchers, 2 triple 12.75inch torpedo tubes

Minesweepers

3 Sandown class minehunters, full load 480 ton,

Support Vessels

2 modified Durance type replenishing ships, aft helicopter deck and hangars for 2 helicopters

Others

Many smaller patrol craft, 2 Royal yachts

Ranks

Officers

ensigne (Arabic:ملازم)
lieutenant Junior Grade (Arabic:ملازم أول)
Lieutenant (Arabic:نقيب)
Lieutenant Commander (Arabic:رائد)
Commander (Arabic:مقدم)
Captain (Arabic:عقيد)
Commordore (Arabic:عميد)
Rear Admiral (Arabic:لواء)
Vice Admiral (Arabic:فريق)
Admiral (Arabic:فريق أول)

Enlisted

Private (Arabic:جندي)
First Class Private (Arabic:جندي أول)
Corporal (Arabic:عريف)
Vice Sergeant (Arabic:وكيل رقيب)
Sergeant (Arabic:رقيب)
First Class Segeant (Arabic:رقيب أول)
Master Sergeant (Arabic:رئيس رقباء)

References

^ 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

Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995
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[1] 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

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