Royal Bahraini Army
Royal Bahraini Army | |
---|---|
الجيش البحريني | |
File:Flag of the Royal Bahraini Army.svg | |
Founded | 1969 |
Country | File:Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain |
Allegiance | File:Emblem of Bahrain.svg King of Bahrain |
Branch | Army |
Role | Ground warfare |
Size | 20,000 active; 110,000 reserve[1] |
Part of | File:Flag of the Bahrain Defence Force.svg Bahrain Defence Force |
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 20,000 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] 8 M-ATV light armored vehicles in service[6]
Armoured fighting vehicles
Model | Image | Origin | Quantity | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
M1A2 SEPv3 | File:M1A2 SEP V3 Abrams - 200721-A-BT735-349.jpg | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | ~50 | [7] |
M60A3 | File:2-70 AR Bright Star 85.jpg | ~100 | 80 more in store.[8] |
Air Defense Systems
Artillery
Photo | Name | Origin | Type | Number | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
File:203mm Self-Propelled Howitzer M110A2.JPG | M110A2 howitzer | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Self-propelled howitzer | 38 | 13 as M110A2 from Netherlands delivered in 1994,[12] 25 as M110A2 from US delivered in 1996.[13] |
File:U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf War (1991) 001.jpg | M198 howitzer | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Howitzer | 18 | |
File:Light Gun E. T..JPG | L-118 | File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom | Field gun | 8 | |
81mm EIMOS Integrated Mortar System | File:Flag of Spain.svg Spain | Mortar | 6[14] | ||
File:M270 MRLS (18963219839).jpg | M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Multiple launch rocket system | 9 | MGM-140 ATACMS |
SR-5 | File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China | Multiple launch rocket system | 8+[15][16] |
Anti-tank Weapons
Photo | Name | Origin | Type | Number | Details |
File:Wombat Recoilless Weapon.JPG | 120 mm BAT recoilless rifle | File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom | Anti tank rifle | 10+ | |
File:Hires 090509-A-4842R-001a.jpg | BGM-71C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Anti-tank missile | Unknown | A total of 2,724 missiles delivered since 1983 |
File:Army-fgm148.jpg | FGM-148 Javelin | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Anti-tank missile | 60 | 180+ missiles |
File:Kornet-EM MAKS-2011 01.jpg | Kornet-EM | File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia | Unknown[17] |
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 | ||
SIG Sauer P226 | Germany | ||
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
- ↑ "2023 Bahrain Military Strength".
- ↑ "2023 Bahrain Military Strength". Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ https://dsm.forecastinternational.com/wordpress/2019/04/16/bahrain-operating-m-atvs/ [bare URL]
- ↑ Matthieu (20 March 2024). "US approves sale of 50 next-gen M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks to Bahrain | Defense News March 2024 Global Security army industry | Defense Security global news industry army year 2024 | Archive News year". Army Recognition. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ↑ International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023 (1st ed.). Routledge. ISBN 978-1032508955.
- ↑ "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".
Sources
- All articles with bare URLs for citations
- Articles with bare URLs for citations from August 2024
- Articles with short description
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- Use dmy dates from November 2019
- Military of Bahrain
- Armies by country
- Military units and formations established in 1977
- Bahrain Defence Force
- 1977 establishments in Bahrain