Saudi Arabian Army

A column of M-113 APCs and other military vehicles of the Royal Saudi Land Forces travel along a channel cleared of mines during Operation Desert Storm., Kuwait - 1 March 1991.

The 20th Brigade of the Royal Saudi Land Forces display a 155 mm (6 in) AMX-30 AuF1, right, and AMX-10P infantry combat vehicles

The modern Army of Arabia has its roots in the Saudi state, which was dating to 1744,[1] and is considered to be the birth year of the Saudi army. As of 1901 the ground forces was re-established as a separate branch of the armed forces with the starting of the modern Saudi state. and it is considered the oldest branches of the Saudi Arabia's military.[4]

Historically, the MoW was created to unify the armies of the state under one military power. It was existed until 1933, when it was renamed "Agency of Defence" under the Finance Minister administration as Agent. By 1944, the Agency was developed (MoD) and incorporated into the Armed Forces Inspectorate.[5][6]

Other events that led to an expansion of the Saudi Army were the Arab–Israeli conflict in 1948, the fall of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and the subsequent fears of possible hostile's actions, and as well as the Gulf War in 1990. In the year 2000, Saudi Arabia's government spent billions of dollars to expand the Saudi military including the Army. The current minister of defense is Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who was appointed on 23 January 2015.[7]

A Saudi M60A3 tank being transferred

Wars involved

Main article: List of wars involving Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter during Operation Desert Shield.

• Wars of Najed (1744–88)
• Saudi–Mamluk War (1790–1811)
• Ottoman–Saudi War (1811–18)
• Saudi Civil War (1865–75)
• Ottoman campaign II (1870–71)
• Battle of Arwa (1883)
• Battle of Mulayda (1891)
• Battle of Riyadh III
• Battle of Dilam (1903)
• Saudi–Rashidi War (1903–07)
• Battle of Hadia (1910)
• Battle of al-Kut (1913)
• Battle of Jarrab (1915)
• Battle of Kinzaan (1915)
• Saudi–Hashemite War (1918–19)
• Kuwait-Saudi War (1919–20)
• Battle of Hail (1921)
• Saudi-Transjordan War (1922)
• Battle of Hejaz II (1924–25)
• Ikhwan Revolt (1927–30)
• Mutawakkilite War (1934)
• 1948 Arab–Israeli War more than 3,000 Saudi troops participated in combat against Israel.
• 1967 RSLF deployed over 20,000 troops in Jordan.
• 1969 Al-Wadiah War. South Yemeni Forces invaded Al-Wadiah, a Saudi town, but later were defeated by the Saudi Army.[8][9]
• 1973 during the Yom Kippur War, Saudi Arabia airlifted a light armoured battalion of Panhard AML-90s and 3,000 troops to Syria four days after the conflict began.[10] The force participated in a number of relatively minor clashes with the IDF between October 16-19, mostly in concert with the Jordanian 40th Armored Brigade.[11]
• 1979 Grand Mosque seizure. The Saudi army and SANG, together with Pakistani and French commandoes, reclaimed the mosque from extremist insurgents.
• Gulf War (1990–91) Together with the allied forces, the Saudi army and SANG played a major part in the Battle of Khafji and the Liberation of Kuwait.
• 2007–10 Houthi Insurgency. Yemeni Houthis attacked southern Saudi Arabia and were defeated by the Saudi army.
• 2015 Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen at the request of the Yemeni president to repel Houthi rebels allied with the deposed Ali Abdullah Saleh, as part of the Yemeni Civil War (2015–present).

A Saudi Arabian (HMMWV) with a QCB machine gun mounted on top depart for the seaport of Mogadishu in Somalia

US Marines training members of the Saudi Arabian Army

The combat strength of the Saudi Army consists of four armoured, five mechanized, two light infantry brigades, one airborne brigade, the Al-Saif Al-Ajrab guard brigade, the Saudi Royal Guard Regiment (three battalions), three helicopter groups, and three artillery brigades.[12] In 2004, it was reported that the RSLF deployed "..the 12th Armoured Brigade and 6th Mechanized Brigade at King Faisal Military City in the Tabuk area. It deployed the 4th Armoured Brigade, and 11th Mechanized Brigade at King Abdul Aziz Military City in the Khamis Mushayt area. It deploy[ed] the 20th Mechanized Brigade and 8th Mechanized Brigade at King Khalid Military City near Hafr al Batin. The 10th Mechanized Brigade is deploy[ed] at Sharawrah, which is near the border with Yemen and about 150 kilometers from Zamak."[13]

Despite the addition of a number of units and increased mobility achieved during the 1970s and 1980s, the army's personnel complement has expanded only moderately since a major buildup was launched in the late 1960s. The army has been chronically understrength, in the case of some units by an estimated 30 to 50 percent. These shortages have been aggravated by a relaxed policy that permitted considerable absenteeism and by a serious problem of retaining experienced technicians and noncommissioned officers (NCOs). The continued existence of the separate Saudi Arabian National Guard also limits the pool of potential army recruits.[3]

Armor

• 4th (King Khaled) Armoured Brigade
• 6th (King Fah'd) Armoured Brigade
• 7th (Prince Sultan) Armoured Brigade
• 8th (King Fah'd) Armoured Brigade
• 10th (King Faisal) Armoured Brigade
• 12th (Khalid ibn al-Walid) Armoured Brigade

A typical Saudi armoured brigade has an armoured reconnaissance company, three tank battalions with 35 tanks each, a mechanized infantry battalion with AIFVs/APCs, and an artillery battalion with 18 self-propelled guns. It also has an army aviation company, an engineer company, a logistic battalion, a field workshop, and a medical company.[14]

Mechanized

• 11th Mechanized Brigade
• 12th Mechanized Brigade
• 13th Mechanized Brigade
• 14th Mechanized Brigade
• 20th Mechanized Brigade

A typical Saudi mechanized brigade has an armoured reconnaissance company, one tank battalion with 40 tanks, three mechanized infantry battalions with AIFVs/APCs, and an artillery battalion with 18 self-propelled guns. It also has an army aviation company, an engineer company, a logistic battalion, a field workshop, and a medical company. It has 24 anti-tank guided weapons launchers and four mortar sections with a total of eight 81 mm (3 in) mortars.[14]

Infantry

• 16th (King Saud) Light motorized infantry brigade
• 17th (Abu Bakr al-Siddiq) Light motorized infantry brigade
• 18th (King Abdullah) Light motorized infantry brigade
• 19th (Umar ibn Al-Khattab) Light motorized infantry brigade

Each infantry brigade consists of three motorized battalions, an artillery battalion, and a support battalion. Army brigades should not be confused with Saudi Arabian National Guard brigades.

Airborne Units and Special Security Forces

• The 1st Airborne Brigade
  • 4th Airborne Battalion
  • 5th Airborne Battalion
• 64th Special Forces Brigade
  • 85th Special Forces Battalion

The Airborne Brigade is normally deployed near Tabuk. The Airborne Brigade has two parachute battalions and three Special Forces companies. Saudi Arabia is expanding its Special Forces and improving their equipment and training to help deal with the threat of terrorism. The Special Forces have been turned into independent fighting units to help deal with terrorists, and report directly to Prince Sultan.

Artillery Battalions

• five artillery battalions
  • 14th FA (Towed, 155) Battalion
  • 15th FA (MLRS) Battalion
  • 18th Missile (MLRS) Battalion

Aviation

• 1st Aviation Group
• 2nd Aviation Group
• 3rd Aviation Group
• 4th Aviation Group

Saudi Arabian Army Structure (click to enlarge).

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Royal Saudi Land Force.

• Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia
• Royal Saudi Navy
• Royal Saudi Air Force

• Cordesman, Anthony H.; Obaid, Nawaf (September 13, 2004). "Saudi National Security: Military and Security Services Challenges & Developments".
• Global Security (2006). "Royal Saudi Land Forces". www.globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 2015-10-29. Retrieved 2006-12-09.
• IISS (2022). The Military Balance 2022. London: Routledge for the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
• O'Ballance, Edgar (1979). No victor, no vanquished: The Yom Kippur War (1979 ed.). Barrie & Jenkins Publishing. ISBN 978-0-214-20670-2.