Royal Bahraini Army

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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 ofFile:Flag of the Bahrain Defence Force.svg 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

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.[2]

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 the 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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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.[5]

8 M-ATV light armored vehicles in service[6]

Armoured fighting vehicles

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Model Image Origin Quantity Details
M1A2 SEPv3 File:M1A2 SEP V3 Abrams - 200721-A-BT735-349.jpg File:Flag of the United States.svg United States ~50 [7]
M60A3 File:2-70 AR Bright Star 85.jpg ~100 80 more in store.[8]
Image Name Class Origin Number Notes
File:Eager Lion 2014 140529-M-HZ646-188 (14149994630).jpg YPR-765 IFV File:Flag of the United States.svg United States File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 75 25 Netherlands-origin YPR-765 ACV delivered in 1996, 42 Belgium-origin AIFV-IFV delivered in 2008.
File:Blindado M113 (Ejército brasileño) en.jpg
 M113 Armoured personnel carrier File:Flag of the United States.svg United States 339 A total of 339 M113A2 were delivered
File:Lynx-Bovington.jpg Lynx Command and recon File:Flag of the United States.svg United States 35
File:PanhardM3.png 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
File:Saxon Armoured Vehicle MOD 45143139.jpg Saxon Armoured personnel carrier File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 10 Purchased in the 1980s
File:Panhard AML-90 img 2308.jpg 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
File:Otokar Cobra in Kabul.jpg Otokar Cobra Infantry mobility vehicle Turkey 15 In service 2008
File:Hamer VS 1.jpg
 Humvee Infantry mobility vehicle File:Flag of the United States.svg United States 200+ 2 types: BGM-71 TOW missile (44) and Browning M2HB
File:Kornet-EM MAKS-2011 01.jpg 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.
File:2016-2018 Toyota Land Cruiser (VDJ200R) VX wagon (2018-09-03) 01.jpg Toyota Land Cruiser Utility vehicle File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan 200+ Locally modified - VDJ78R Troop Carrier
File:MP MilCOTS.jpg Chevrolet Silverado Multi-purpose vehicle File:Flag of the United States.svg United States 50+
Interceptor Light armoured vehicle File:Flag of Pakistan.svg 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 File:Flag of Oman.svg Oman 6 In service since 2005

Air Defense Systems

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Photo Name Origin Type Number Details
File:MIM-104 Patriot.JPG MIM-104 Patriot United StatesUnited States Surface-to-air missiles 1 Raytheon awarded contract to supply Patriot missiles defense systems.[11]
File:Launched FIM-92A Stinger missile.jpg FIM-92A File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Man-portable air-defense system 14-16 Delivered 1988 along with 70 missiles
File:RBS70.jpg RBS 70 File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Short range air defense 14 Delivered 1980–81 along with 161 missiles
File:Sisu XA-180 iTO-90.jpg Crotale France Surface-to-air missile 7
File:Hawk mobile.jpg MIM-23 Hawk File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Surface-to-air missile 8
File:Avenger missile.jpg AN/TWQ-1 Avenger File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Surface-to-air missile 10+ Self-propelled surface-to-air missile system mounted on a HMMWV
File:35mmFlab.png Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland Autocannon 15 GDF-005 units
File:Irish Army Bofors Gun getting ready (4746227784).jpg Bofors 40 mm File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Autocannon 12

Artillery

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Photo Name Origin Type Number Details
File:203mm Self-Propelled Howitzer M110A2.JPG M110A2 howitzer File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Self-propelled howitzer 38 13 as M110A2 from Netherlands delivered in 1994,[12] 25 as M110A2 from US delivered in 1996.[13]
File:U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf War (1991) 001.jpg M198 howitzer File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Howitzer 18
File:Light Gun E. T..JPG L-118 File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Field gun 8
81mm EIMOS Integrated Mortar System Spain Mortar 6[14]
File:M270 MRLS (18963219839).jpg M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Multiple launch rocket system 9 MGM-140 ATACMS
SR-5 China Multiple launch rocket system 8+[15][16]

Anti-tank Weapons

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Photo Name Origin Type Number Details
File:Wombat Recoilless Weapon.JPG 120 mm BAT recoilless rifle File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Anti tank rifle 10+
File:Hires 090509-A-4842R-001a.jpg BGM-71C File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Anti-tank missile Unknown A total of 2,724 missiles delivered since 1983
File:Army-fgm148.jpg FGM-148 Javelin File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Anti-tank missile 60 180+ missiles
File:Kornet-EM MAKS-2011 01.jpg Kornet-EM Russia Unknown[17]

Weapons

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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

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References

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  3. ^ UAE, Bahrain lose 50 troops on black day for Yemen coalition. Dawn News. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
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Sources

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