Royal Saudi Navy

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Royal Saudi Naval Force
البحرية السعودية
Royal Saudi Navy Logo.svg
Emblem of the Royal Saudi Navy
Founded1789 (historical) [1]
1960 (official) [2]
CountryFlag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia
Type Navy
Role Naval warfare
Size13,500 approx. (inc. 3,000 marines) [3] [4]
Part of Royal Armed Forces
Parent agency Ministry Of Defense [6]
Colors  Blue   white
Equipment7 frigates (4 u/c)
9 corvettes
39 patrol vessels
3 minehunters
2 support ships
2 royal yachts
Engagements List of wars involving RSNF
Decorations
Naval Forces Medal - 1st Class (Saudi Arabia).png
Naval Forces Medal - 1st Class Naval Forces Medal - 2nd Class (Saudi Arabia).png
Naval Forces Medal - 2nd Class Naval Forces Medal - 3rd Class (Saudi Arabia).png
Naval Forces Medal - 3rd Class
Website rsnf.gov.sa
Commanders
Current
commander
V. Admiral Mohammed Al-Gharibi [7]
Notable
commanders
Abu al-A'war
Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalhami
Insignia
Seal Royal Saudi Navy Seal.svg
Ensign Naval Ensign of Saudi Arabia.svg
Jack Naval Jack of Saudi Arabia.svg
Flag Naval base flag of the Royal Saudi Navy.svg
Pennant Royal Saudi Navy commissioning pennant.svg
Aircraft flown
Helicopter AS332 Super Puma
Utility helicopter AS565 SA Dauphin
Sikorsky MH-60R

The Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF), [8] [note 1] or Royal Saudi Navy, [note 2] is the maritime arm of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces and one of the five service branches of the Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia. Its primary role is monitoring and defending Saudi territorial waters, ensuring regional freedom of navigation, and protecting commercial sea routes through multinational naval coalitions. [9] [8]

Contents

The Royal Saudi Navy is organized into two fleets: The Eastern Fleet, which operates in the Persian Gulf from the King Abdulaziz Naval Base at Jubail, and the Western Fleet, which operates in the Red Sea from the King Faisal Naval Base at Jeddah. Each fleet has full military capability, including warships, support ships, administrative and technical support, naval aviation, marines and special security units. [10]

Since the turn of the 21st century, the RSNF has undergone extensive efforts to expand and modernize its fleet, enhance its operational capabilities, and professionalize its personnel. [11] [12]

History

The navy was founded in 1960 [13] [5] and began a significant expansion with United States assistance in 1972, with the aim to match the Imperial Iranian Navy. Following the Iranian Revolution a further expansion programme, Sawari, was initiated with French assistance. 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. [14]

Ships

The navy is a modern force with foreign-built ships:

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. [15]

PhotoNumberShipBuilderCompletedStatus
USS-Freedom-130222-N-DR144-174-crop.jpg Marinette Marine On order
On order
On order
On order

3 Al Riyadh-class frigates are modified versions of the La Fayette-class frigate (built by DCN, Lorient). [16] Each has a fully loaded displacement of 4,725 tons, and is armed with eight MBDA Exocet MM40 Block II surface-to-surface missiles (SSM), two eight-cell Sylver vertical launch systems for the Eurosam (MBDA and Thales) Aster 15 surface-to-air missile (SAM), an Oto Melara 76 mm/62 Super Rapid gun, and four 533 mm 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. [16]

PhotoNumberShipBuilderCommissionedStatusNamesake
Frigate Al Makkah.jpg
812 Al Riyadh DCN Lorient2002In active service Riyadh City
814 Makkah 2003In active service Makkah City
816 Dammam 2004In active service Dammam City

4 Al Madinah-class frigates based in the Red Sea, built in France (Arsenal de Marine, Lorient (French Government Dockyard and CNIM, La Seyne) in the mid-1980s. Their full load displacement is 2,610 tons and they are armed with eight Otomat surface-to-surface missiles, one 8-cell Crotale surface-to-air missile launcher (26 missiles total), one 100 mm/44 dual-purpose gun, two 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, four torpedo tubes, an aft helicopter deck and hangar; one Dauphin helicopter.

PhotoNumberShipBuilderCompletedStatus
Royal Saudi Navy Al Madinah-class Frigate 2(1).jpg 702Al MadinahArsenal de Lorient4 January 1985In active service
704HofoufCNIM, La Seyne31 October 1985In active service
706Abha4 April 1986In active service
708Taif29 August 1986In active service

It was believed the Saudis intended to order two new British-built Type 45 destroyers, [17] 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. [18]

Corvettes

5 Avante-class corvettes ordered by Royal Saudi Navy in 2018. The corvettes have been built by Spanish company Navantia.

PhotoNumberShipBuilderCompletedStatusNamesake
PC-21 Guaiqueri 14 de Mayo 2011 Foto Capitan Ted.jpg 828 Al Jubail [19] Navantia2022In active service Al Jubail City
830 Al Diriyah [20] 2022In active service Al Diriyah City
832Hail [21] 2022In active service Hail City
834Jazan [22] 2023In active service Jazan City
836Unaizah2024In active service 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.

PhotoNumberShipBuilderCompletedStatus
Saudi Arabian missile corvette Tabuk (618) underway during Operation Desert Shield.jpg 612BadrTacoma Boatbuilding1981In active service
614Al Yarmook1982In active service
616Hitteen1982In active service
618Tabuk1983In active service

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.

PhotoNumberShipBuilderCompletedStatus
As-Sadiq class missile boat Oqbah (525) of the Royal Saudi Navy.jpg
DN-SC-82-03990-C.jpg
511As-Siddiq (الصّدّيق) Peterson Builders 1980In active service
513Al-Farouq (الفاروق)1981In active service
515Abdul-Aziz1981In active service
517Faisal1981In active service
519Khalid1982In active service
521Amr1982In active service
523Tariq1982In active service
525Ouqbah1982In active service
527Abu Obaidah1982In active service

Minesweepers

3 Sandown-class minehunters (built by Vosper Thornycroft, Woolston), full load displacement of 480 tons:

PhotoNumberShipBuilderCompletedStatus
424 Al Kharj.jpg 420Al Jawf Vosper Thornycroft 1991In active service
422Shaqra1993In active service
424Al Kharj1994In 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.

PhotoNumberShipBuilderCompletedStatus
Saudi Arabian replenishment oiler Boraida (902) underway in the Red Sea, in 1991.jpg 902Boraida CN La Ciotat 1984In active service
904Yunbou1985In active service

Others

Many smaller patrol craft, two Danish-built royal yachts

AircraftOriginTypeVariantIn serviceNotes
Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk Flag of the United States.svg  USA ASW/ASuW Helicopter MH-60R 10Ordered May 2015 – armed with Hellfire missiles
Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma Flag of France.svg  FRA ASW helicopterB1, M1, F1S1, F1S220
AS565 SA Dauphin Flag of France.svg  FRA SAR helicopterAS565 SA24

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. [24]

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. [25]

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. [26] In October 2015, the US Congress was informed of a possible sale of Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) Ships, a variant of the LCS. [27]

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. [28]

Bases

King Abdul-Aziz Naval Base in Jubail, home to the eastern fleet of the Royal Saudi Navy Saudi Navy Desert Sheild.JPEG
King Abdul-Aziz Naval Base in Jubail, home to the eastern fleet of the Royal Saudi Navy

Ranks

Officer ranks
Rank groupGeneral / flag officersSenior officersJunior officers
Naval base flag of the Royal Saudi Navy.svg  Royal Saudi Navy [30]
Generic-Navy-12.svg Generic-Navy-11.svg Generic-Navy-10.svg Generic-Navy-9.svg Generic-Navy-8.svg Generic-Navy-6.svg Generic-Navy-5.svg Generic-Navy-4.svg Generic-Navy-3.svg Generic-Navy-2.svg
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 groupSenior NCOsJunior NCOsEnlisted
Naval base flag of the Royal Saudi Navy.svg  Royal Saudi Navy [30]
RAQIB AWWAL.png RAQIB.png WAKIL RAQIB.png ARIF.png JUNDI AWWAL.png 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 Houthi rebels using a suicide boat, killing 2 sailors and wounding 3 others. [31] The attack took place near the port city of Al Hudaydah, 150 kilometers southwest of the Yemeni capital Sana'a.

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See also

Sources

Notes

    1. Arabic : القُوَّات البَحْريَّة الْمَلكيَّة السُّعُودِيَّة, romanized: Al-Quwwat al-Bahriyah al-Malakiyah as-Su'udiyah
    2. Arabic : البَحْريَّة الْمَلكيَّة السُّعُودِيَّة, romanized: Al-Quwwat al-Bahriyah al-Arabiyah as-Su'udiyah