Royal Bahraini Army

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]

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

History

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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

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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

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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

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ModelImageOriginQuantityDetails
M1A2 SEPv3  United States~50[7]
M60A3 ~10080 more in store.[8]
ImageNameClassOriginNumberNotes
YPR-765IFV  Netherlands7525 Netherlands-origin YPR-765 ACV delivered in 1996, 42 Belgium-origin AIFV-IFV delivered in 2008.
M113Armoured personnel carrier  United States339A total of 339 M113A2 were delivered
LynxCommand and recon  United States35
Panhard M3Armoured personnel carrier  France110Ordered in 1977, most of them modified, including some ambulance, CP, AEV, ARV, and 81mm mortar carrier versions
SaxonArmoured personnel carrier  United Kingdom10Purchased in the 1980s
AML-90Armoured car  France22Ordered in 1977
Otokar ArmaArmoured personnel carrier  Turkey73In service from 2010
Otokar ZPTArmoured patrol vehicle  Turkey133In service 2012/13
Otokar AkrepInfantry mobility vehicle  Turkey21In service 2005
Otokar CobraInfantry mobility vehicle  Turkey15In service 2008
HumveeInfantry mobility vehicle  United States200+2 types: BGM-71 TOW missile (44) and Browning M2HB
Kornet-DAnti-tank guided missile[9]  Russia10+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 CruiserUtility vehicle  Japan200+Locally modified - VDJ78R Troop Carrier
Chevrolet SilveradoMulti-purpose vehicle  United States50+
InterceptorLight armoured vehicle  Pakistan06 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-1MRAP  Oman6In service since 2005

Air Defense Systems

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PhotoNameOriginTypeNumberDetails
MIM-104 Patriot United StatesSurface-to-air missiles1Raytheon awarded contract to supply Patriot missiles defense systems.[11]
FIM-92A  United StatesMan-portable air-defense system14-16Delivered 1988 along with 70 missiles
RBS 70  SwedenShort range air defense14Delivered 1980–81 along with 161 missiles
Crotale  FranceSurface-to-air missile7
MIM-23 Hawk  United StatesSurface-to-air missile8
AN/TWQ-1 Avenger  United StatesSurface-to-air missile10+Self-propelled surface-to-air missile system mounted on a HMMWV
Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon   SwitzerlandAutocannon15GDF-005 units
Bofors 40 mm  SwedenAutocannon12

Artillery

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PhotoNameOriginTypeNumberDetails
M110A2 howitzer  United StatesSelf-propelled howitzer3813 as M110A2 from Netherlands delivered in 1994,[12] 25 as M110A2 from US delivered in 1996.[13]
M198 howitzer  United StatesHowitzer18
L-118  United KingdomField gun8
81mm EIMOS Integrated Mortar System  SpainMortar6[14]
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System  United StatesMultiple launch rocket system9MGM-140 ATACMS
SR-5  ChinaMultiple launch rocket system8+[15][16]

Anti-tank Weapons

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PhotoNameOriginTypeNumberDetails
120 mm BAT recoilless rifle  United KingdomAnti tank rifle10+
BGM-71C  United StatesAnti-tank missileUnknownA total of 2,724 missiles delivered since 1983
FGM-148 Javelin  United StatesAnti-tank missile60180+ missiles
Kornet-EM  RussiaUnknown[17]

Weapons

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Type/ClassQuantityOriginDetails
Heckler & Koch G3West Germany
FN FALBelgium
M16A2 rifle?United States
M4 carbine?United States
Barrett M82 anti-materiel rifle?United States
Heckler & Koch MP5?West Germany
Browning Hi-PowerBelgium
SIG Sauer P226Germany
FN MAGBelgium
M2 BrowningBelgium

Additional equipment on order by the army include:

Type/ClassQuantityOriginDetails
Logistics Vehicle System heavy tactical vehicle system100+United StatesTransport of armored vehicles and tanks
M939 Truck 6x6 trucks100+United States
MAN Truck & Bus military transport200+United States
Toyota Coaster troops transport100+Japan

Retired equipment were made in the 1950s and 1960s:

Type/ClassQuantityOriginDetails
Ferret Armoured Fighting Vehicle10UK
Alvis Saladin10UK

See also

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References

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  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.
  5. ^ "State Dept. Clears $2.5 billion sale of Patriot missile defense system to Bahrain". 6 May 2019.
  6. ^ https://dsm.forecastinternational.com/wordpress/2019/04/16/bahrain-operating-m-atvs/
  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".
  10. ^ "Pakistan to sell six Interceptor Vehicles to Bahrain".
  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". 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.
  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".

Sources

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