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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy was the Royal Saudi Naval Forces sailor so good at chess? He had a fleet of moves.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Saudi Navy)

Royal Saudi Naval Forces
البحرية السعودية
Emblem of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces
Founded1789 (historical)[1]
1960 (official)[2]
Country Saudi Arabia
TypeNavy
RoleNaval warfare
Size13,500 approx. (inc. 3,000 marines) [3][4]
Part of Saudi Armed Forces
Parent agencyMinistry Of Defense[6]
Colors  Blue   white
Equipment7 frigates (4 u/c)
9 corvettes
39 patrol vessels
3 minehunters
2 support ships
2 royal yachts
EngagementsList of wars involving RSNF
Decorations

Naval Forces Medal - 1st Class
Naval Forces Medal - 2nd Class
Naval Forces Medal - 3rd Class
Websitersnf.gov.sa
Commanders
Current
commander		V. Admiral Mohammed Al-Gharibi[7]
Notable
commanders		Abu al-A'war
Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalhami
Insignia
Seal
Ensign
Jack
Flag
Pennant
Aircraft flown
HelicopterAS332 Super Puma
Utility helicopterAS565 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]

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

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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]

Fleet Inventory

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Frigates

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Class Picture Type Quantity Origin Ship Displacement Note
Active (7)
Al Riyadh class
Saudi frigate Al Riyadh
Saudi frigate Al Riyadh
 Multirole Guided Missile & Air Defence Frigate 3  France HMS Al Riyadh (812)
HMS Makkah (814)
HMS Dammam (816)		 4,725 tons Heavily modified variant of the French La Fayette-class, optimized for advanced anti-air capabilities with Aster 15 missiles.[15]
Al Madinah class Multirole Frigate 4  France HMS Al Madinah (702)
HMS Hofouf (704)
HMS Abha (706)
HMS Taif (708)		 2,610 tons Commissioned under the Sawari I program in the mid-1980s. Armed with Otomat anti-ship missiles and Crotale surface-to-air systems.[16]
Under Construction / Delivering (4)
Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) Multi-Mission Guided-Missile Frigate 4  United States HMS King Saud (820)
HMS King Fahd (822)
HMS King Abdullah (824)
HMS King Salman (826)		 3,600 tons Procured under the Tuwaiq Project. Derived from the Freedom-class littoral combat ship hull; equipped with Harpoon Block II and Sea Ceptor systems.[17]

Corvettes

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Class Picture Type Quantity Origin Ship Displacement Note
Active (9)
Al Jubail class Multirole Corvette 5  Spain HMS Al Jubail (828)
HMS Al Diriyah (830)
HMS Hail (832)
HMS Jazan (834)
HMS Unayzah (836)		 2,500 tons Built by Navantia based on the Avante 2000 platform. Outfitted with ESSM surface-to-air missiles and Harpoon Block II anti-ship systems.[18]
Badr class Tactical Corvette 4  United States HMS Badr (612)
HMS Al Yarmook (614)
HMS Hitteen (616)
HMS Tabuk (618)		 1,038 tons American-built hulls commissioned between 1981 and 1983. Primarily stationed with the Eastern Fleet in the Persian Gulf.

Patrol Vessels & Fast Attack

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Class Picture Type Quantity Origin Ship Displacement Note
Active (48)
Al Siddiq class Fast Attack Craft (Missile) 9  United States HMS Al Siddiq (511)
HMS Al Farouq (513)
HMS Abdul Aziz (515)
HMS Faisal (517)
HMS Khalid (519)
HMS Amr (521)
HMS Tariq (523)
HMS Ouqbah (525)
HMS Abu Obaidah (527)		 495 tons Heavily armed fast attack platforms designed for rapid anti-surface warfare strikes using Harpoon missiles.
HSI32-class High-Speed Interceptor 39  France
 Saudi Arabia		 Numbered patrol hulls 132 tons Procured from CMN; 18 hulls were constructed locally by Zamil Shipyard in Dammam to satisfy domestic manufacturing goals.

Mine Warfare & Auxiliary

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Class Picture Type Quantity Origin Ship Displacement Note
Active (5)
Al Jawf class Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Vessel 3  United Kingdom HMS Al Jawf (420)
HMS Al Shaqra (422)
HMS Al Kharj (424)		 480 tons British-built Sandown-class minehunters utilizing glass-reinforced plastic hulls to reduce magnetic signatures.[19]
Boraida class Replenishment Oiler (AOR) 2  France HMS Boraida (902)
HMS Yunbou (904)		 10,500 tons Modified French Durance-class design. Operates as the fleet's primary logistical support mechanism for mid-ocean resupply operations.
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Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk USA ASW/ASuW Helicopter MH-60R 10[20] Armed with Hellfire missiles
Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma FRA ASW helicopter B1, M1, F1S1, F1S2 20[20]
AS565 SA Dauphin FRA SAR helicopter AS565 SA 26[20]

Marines

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The Royal Saudi Navy maintains two, 1,500-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.[citation needed]

Future

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In 2016, Germany was slated to supply 48 patrol boats to Saudi Arabia within the framework of its border security project, a cost of 1.5 billion euros was noted for this deal. Lürssen had started building 15 patrol vessels for the project's first phase by 2016. The patrol boats to be procured under the current contract come in two forms. The first were to be 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.[21]

Saudi Arabia had wanted in 2013 to purchase five German submarines for around €2.5 billion ($3.4 billion) and more than two dozen more in the future.[22][needs update]

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 indicated[to whom?] the country was 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.[23] In October 2015, the US Congress was informed of a possible sale of Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) Ships, a variant of the LCS.[24]

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.[25]

Saudi Arabia ordered three more Avante 2200 corvettes from Navantia in 2024.[26]

Bases

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King Abdul-Aziz Naval Base in Jubail, home to the eastern fleet of the Royal Saudi Navy
  • Jeddah (Al-Qadima military port)– Red Sea base home to the navy's Western fleet for frigates and 2 missile boats, 1 replenishing ship and 1 patrol minesweeper; located north of the King Faisal Naval Base air station and south of the container port area
  • Jubail – Persian Gulf base is home to the navy's Eastern fleet; smaller base home to corvettes, replenishing ship remaining missile boats and minesweepers
  • Dammam (Ras Al-Ghar military port)[27] – Persian Gulf home port for the Saudi Royal family's two Royal Yachts

Ranks

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Officer ranks
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
 Royal Saudi Navy[28]
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 group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
 Royal Saudi Navy[28]
 No insignia
رقيب أول
Raqib 'awal		 رقيب
Raqib		 وكيل رقيب
Wakil raqib		 عريف
Earif		 جندي أول
Jundiun awwal		 جندي‎‎
Jundiun‎‎

Incidents

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On 30 January 2017 Al-Madinah was attacked by Houthi rebels using a suicide boat, killing 2 sailors and wounding 3 others.[29] The attack took place near the port city of Al Hudaydah, 150 kilometers southwest of the Yemeni capital Sana'a.

References

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  1. ↑ George Snavely Rentz (1948). The Beginnings of Unitarian Empire in Arabia. University of California, Berkeley. p. 213.
  2. ↑ "Royal Saudi Naval Force". Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  3. ↑ IISS (2021). The Military Balance 2021. Routledge. p. 364. ISBN 978-1-032-01227-8.
  4. ↑ CIA (2021). The CIA World Factbook 2021-2022. Skyhorse Publishing. p. 842. ISBN 978-1-5107-6381-4.
  5. 1 2 Gray, Matthew (2014). Global Security Watch—Saudi Arabia. ABC-CLIO. p. 41. ISBN 9780313387005. Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "Bahrain – McGill School of Computer Science". Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "Royal Orders Issued".
  8. 1 2 "Royal Saudi Naval Forces". Gov.Sa.
  9. ↑ Matamis, Joaquin (26 October 2023). "Saudi Navy Assumes New Leadership Role in US-led Maritime Coalitions • Stimson Center". Stimson Center. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  10. ↑ "sdarabia". sdarabia.com. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  11. ↑ Hedges, Matthew (15 April 2018). "Saudi Arabia's modernization considerations for its West Coast fleet". Gulf State Analytics. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  12. ↑ Helou, Agnes (9 September 2022). "Saudi naval modernization pushes ahead, with eye always on Iran". Breaking Defense. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  13. ↑ Zuhur, Sherifa (2011). Saudi Arabia. ABC-CLIO. p. 434. ISBN 9781598845716. Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  14. ↑ 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
  15. ↑ "Al Riyadh Class - Naval Technology".
  16. ↑ "Al Madinah-class frigate - Wikipedia".
  17. ↑ "Saudi Arabia Launches HMS King Saud, Marking Milestone in MMSC Program".
  18. ↑ "Navantia delivers fifth Avante 2000 corvette to Saudi Arabia".
  19. ↑ "Sandown-class minehunter - Wikipedia".
  20. 1 2 3 Hoyle, Craig (2025). "World Air Forces 2026". Flight Global. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  21. ↑ Ghazanfar Ali Khan (4 August 2016). "KSA set to get 48 German patrol boats". Arab News. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  22. ↑ "Report: Saudi Arabia Eyes Buying German Submarines". Defense News. Retrieved 24 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  23. ↑ FMS of MK 41 Vertical Launch Systems May Indicate Purchase of LCS or DDG by Saudi Arabia Archived 22 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Navyrecognition.com, 18 December 2014
  24. ↑ "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) Ships" (Press release). Defense Security Cooperation Agency. 20 October 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  25. ↑ "Saudi Arabia signs deal with Spanish firm for five warships". Arabian Business. 20 July 2018. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  26. ↑ "Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence and Navantia sign a new contract for three additional Avante 2200 corvettes". Navantia. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  27. ↑ Cordesman, Anthony H. (20 May 2019). Saudi Arabia: Guarding The Desert Kingdom. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-96600-2. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  28. 1 2 Tartter, Jean R. (1993). "National Security". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Saudi Arabia: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 270–271. LCCN 93028506. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  29. ↑ Gibbons-Neff, Thomas (6 February 2017). "Video emerges of suicide boat ramming Saudi frigate". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2017.

See also

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Sources

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  • Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995

Notes

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  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
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