Royal Bahraini Army

Royal Bahraini Army
الجيش البحريني
Flag of the Royal Bahraini Army
Founded1969
Country Bahrain
Allegiance King of Bahrain
BranchArmy
RoleGround warfare
Size20,000 active; 110,000 reserve[1]
Part of Bahrain Defence Force
Garrison/HQManama
EngagementsBahraini 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  United States ~50 [7]
M60A3 ~100 80 more in store.[8]
Image Name Class Origin Number Notes
YPR-765 IFV  Netherlands 75 25 Netherlands-origin YPR-765 ACV delivered in 1996, 42 Belgium-origin AIFV-IFV delivered in 2008.
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
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.
Toyota Land Cruiser Utility vehicle  Japan 200+ Locally modified - VDJ78R Troop Carrier
Chevrolet Silverado Multi-purpose vehicle  United States 50+
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

Air Defense Systems

Photo Name Origin Type Number Details
MIM-104 Patriot United StatesUnited States Surface-to-air missiles 1 Raytheon awarded contract to supply Patriot missiles defense systems.[11]
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
Crotale  France Surface-to-air missile 7
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
Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon   Switzerland Autocannon 15 GDF-005 units
Bofors 40 mm  Sweden Autocannon 12

Artillery

Photo Name Origin Type Number Details
M110A2 howitzer  United States Self-propelled howitzer 38 13 as M110A2 from Netherlands delivered in 1994,[12] 25 as M110A2 from US delivered in 1996.[13]
M198 howitzer  United States Howitzer 18
L-118  United Kingdom Field gun 8
81mm EIMOS Integrated Mortar System  Spain Mortar 6[14]
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System  United States Multiple launch rocket system 9 MGM-140 ATACMS
SR-5  China Multiple launch rocket system 8+[15][16]

Anti-tank Weapons

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

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

  1. ^ "2023 Bahrain Military Strength".
  2. ^ "2023 Bahrain Military Strength". Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  3. ^ UAE, Bahrain lose 50 troops on black day for Yemen coalition. Dawn News. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Bahrain says three soldiers in Yemen coalition killed". Dunya News. 14 February 2008.
  5. ^ "State Dept. Clears $2.5 billion sale of Patriot missile defense system to Bahrain". 6 May 2019.
  6. ^ "Bahrain Operating M-ATVs". 16 April 2019.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023 (1st ed.). Routledge. ISBN 978-1032508955.
  9. ^ "Bahrain to purchase Russian-made mobile Kornet-EM anti-tank missiles 1408143". Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  10. ^ "Pakistan to sell six Interceptor Vehicles to Bahrain". Daily Pakistan Global.
  11. ^ GDC (11 March 2020). "Raytheon to supply Patriot Missile Defense System to Bahrain". Global Defense Corp. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ Defense Security Cooperation Agency. "Excess Defense Articles". Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  14. ^ "Janes | Latest defence and security news". Janes.com. Archived from the original on 18 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  15. ^ GDC (10 July 2021). "NORINCO Delivers SR-5 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems To Bahrain". Global Defense Corp. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  16. ^ "NORINCO Delivers First Batch Of SR5 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems To Bahrain". www.defenseworld.net. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  17. ^ "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