Royal Bahraini Army
| Royal Bahraini Army | |
|---|---|
| الجيش البحريني | |
 Flag of the Royal Bahraini Army | |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Country |  Bahrain |
| Allegiance |  King of Bahrain |
| Branch | Army |
| Role | Ground warfare |
| Size | 20,000 Active; 110,000 reserve[1] |
| Part of |  Bahrain Defence Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Manama |
| Engagements | Bahraini uprising of 2011 Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Gulf War 2026 Iran war[2] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa |
| Notable commanders | Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Khalifa Munzir ibn Sawa Al-Tamimi |
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The Royal Bahraini Army is the ground force component of the Bahrain Defence Force. The army's current strength is 20,000 personnel. It is headed by Lieutenant General Khalifa bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa.[3]
History
[edit]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 the Yemeni–Saudi Arabian border were killed in unspecified circumstances.[4] Another three died in Yemen afterwards.[5]
Formation
[edit]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
[edit]The RBA has a mix of equipment purchased in the 1970s and early 1990s. They are currently modernizing some of their equipment. Most purchases in the past have been second hand from the United States or the United Kingdom. In the past few years, Bahrain has begun developing military capabilities, through the purchase of equipment from Turkey, including armoured vehicles such as Otokar Arma and Otokar Akrep (Armoured combat vehicle).
In 2019, the U.S. State Department cleared a $2.5 billion sale of the 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.[6]
8 M-ATV light armored vehicles in service[7]
Armoured fighting vehicles
[edit]| Image | Name | Class | Origin | Quantity | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
M1A2 SEPv3 | Main battle tank |  United States |
~50 | not delivered |
 |
M60A3 | Main battle tank | ~100 | 80 more in storage.[8] |
| Image | Name | Class | Origin | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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YPR-765 | IFV | United States  Netherlands |
75 | 25 Netherlands-origin YPR-765 ACV delivered in 1996, 42 Belgium-origin AIFV-IFV delivered in 2008. |
_en.jpg) |
M113 | Armoured personnel carrier | United States |
339 | A total of 339 M113A2 were delivered |
 |
Lynx | Command and recon | United States |
35 | |
 |
Panhard M3 | Armoured personnel carrier |  France |
110 | Ordered in 1977, most of them modified, including some ambulance, CP, AEV, ARV, and 81mm mortar carrier versions |
 |
Saxon | Armoured personnel carrier |  United Kingdom |
10 | Purchased in the 1980s |
 |
AML-90 | Armoured car | France |
22 | Ordered in 1977 |
(2).jpg) |
Otokar Arma | Armoured personnel carrier |  Turkey |
73 | In service from 2010 |
| Otokar ZPT | Armoured patrol vehicle | Turkey |
133 | In service 2012/13 | |
 |
Otokar Akrep | Infantry mobility vehicle | Turkey |
21 | In service 2005 |
 |
Otokar Cobra | Infantry mobility vehicle | Turkey |
15 | In service 2008 |
 |
Humvee | Infantry mobility vehicle | United States |
200+ | 2 types: BGM-71 TOW missile (44) and Browning M2HB |
 |
Kornet-D | Anti-tank guided missile[9] |  Russia |
10+ | The Kornet-EM is based on the chassis of the Tigr 4x4 light armored vehicle with two retractable launcher units, each with four missiles ready to fire. In road position, the launcher units are stowed inside the vehicle. |
| Interceptor | Light armoured vehicle |  Pakistan |
0 | 6 on order of these light-protected vehicles, it is likely that a series contract of minimum of 50 more vehicles would be further awarded[10] | |
| Nimer-1 | MRAP |  Oman |
6 | In service since 2005 | |
_VX_wagon_(2018-09-03)_01.jpg) |
Toyota Land Cruiser | Utility vehicle |  Japan |
200+ | Locally modified - VDJ78R Troop Carrier |
 |
Chevrolet Silverado | Multi-purpose vehicle | United States |
50+ |
Air Defense Systems
[edit]| Photo | Name | Origin | Type | Number | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
MIM-104 Patriot | United States |
Surface-to-air missiles | 1 | Raytheon awarded contract to supply Patriot missiles defense systems.[11] |
 |
MIM-23 Hawk | United States |
Surface-to-air missile | 8 | |
 |
AN/TWQ-1 Avenger | United States |
Surface-to-air missile | 10+ | Self-propelled surface-to-air missile system mounted on a HMMWV |
 |
Crotale | France |
Surface-to-air missile | 7 | |
 |
FIM-92A | United States |
Man-portable air-defense system | 14–16 | Delivered 1988 along with 70 missiles |
 |
RBS 70 |  Sweden |
Short range air defense | 14 | Delivered 1980–81 along with 161 missiles |
 |
Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon |  Switzerland |
Autocannon | 15 | GDF-005 units |
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Bofors 40 mm | Sweden |
Autocannon | 12 |
Artillery
[edit]| Photo | Name | Origin | Type | Number | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) |
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System | United States |
Multiple launch rocket system | 9 | MGM-140 ATACMS |
| SR-5 |  China |
Multiple launch rocket system | 8+[12][13] | ||
 |
M110A2 howitzer | United States |
Self-propelled howitzer | 38 | 13 as M110A2 from Netherlands delivered in 1994,[14] 25 as M110A2 from US delivered in 1996.[15] |
_001.jpg) |
M198 howitzer | United States |
Howitzer | 18 | |
 |
L118 | United Kingdom |
Field gun | 8 | |
| 81mm EIMOS Integrated Mortar System |  Spain |
Mortar | 6[16] |
Anti-tank Weapons
[edit]| Photo | Name | Origin | Type | Number | Details |
 |
120 mm BAT recoilless rifle | United Kingdom |
Anti tank rifle | 10+ | |
 |
BGM-71C | United States |
Anti-tank missile | Unknown | A total of 2,724 missiles delivered since 1983 |
 |
FGM-148 Javelin | United States |
Anti-tank missile | 60 | 180+ missiles |
|
Kornet-EM | Russia |
Unknown[17] |
Weapons
[edit]| 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
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "2023 Bahrain Military Strength".
- ↑ "Bahrain says it intercepted Iranian missiles, drones". Al Jazeera. 6 June 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- ↑ "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. 14 February 2008.
- ↑ "State Dept. Clears $2.5 billion sale of Patriot missile defense system to Bahrain". 6 May 2019.
- ↑ "Bahrain Operating M-ATVs". 16 April 2019.
- ↑ 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". Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ↑ "Pakistan to sell six Interceptor Vehicles to Bahrain". Daily Pakistan Global.
- ↑ GDC (11 March 2020). "Raytheon to supply Patriot Missile Defense System to Bahrain". Global Defense Corp. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. "Transfers and licensed production of major conventional weapons". Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. 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. Archived from the original on 18 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ↑ "Bahrain to purchase Russian-made mobile Kornet-EM anti-tank missiles 1408143". Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
Sources
[edit]- Bahrain Archived 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- Bahrain Army Equipment
