Editing Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia (section)

==Service branches==
===Army===
{{main|Royal Saudi Land Forces}}
[[File:Saudi UH-60 Desert Storm.JPEG|thumbnail|Saudi Arabian army [[UH-60]] Blackhawk helicopter during [[Operation Desert Shield (Gulf War)|Operation Desert Shield]]]]
The [[Royal Saudi Land Forces]] are composed of three armored brigades, five mechanized brigades, one airborne brigade, one Royal Guard brigade, and eight artillery battalions. The army also has one aviation command with two aviation brigades.<ref name="Library of Congress 2006"/>

The army's main equipment consists of a combination of French- and U.S.-made armored vehicles: 315 M–1A2 Abrams, 290 [[AMX–30]], and 450 [[M60A3]] main battle tanks; 300 reconnaissance vehicles; 570+ AMX–10P and 400 M–2 Bradley armored infantry fighting vehicles; 3,000+ M113 and 100 Al-Fahd armored personnel carriers, produced in Saudi Arabia; 200+ towed artillery pieces; 110 self-propelled artillery pieces; 60 multiple rocket launchers; 400 mortars; 10 surface-to-surface missiles; about 2,000 antitank guided weapons; about 200 rocket launchers; 450 recoilless launchers; 12 attack helicopters; 50+ transport helicopters; and 1,000 surface-to-air missiles.<ref name="Library of Congress 2006"/>

In 1996 Saudi Arabia had military cities in the northeast, the [[King Khalid Military City]], at Tabuk, at Dharhran, and at Abha in the southwest. There was a 1996 report that construction of a military city at [[Jizan]], orientated toward Yemen, had begun with Defense Minister Prince Sultan pouring the first concrete on 8 May 1996.<ref>James Bruce, "Saudis building military city on Yemen border", ''[[Jane's Defence Weekly]]'', 15 May 1996, p.3</ref>

The [[Library of Congress Country Study]] for Saudi Arabia, issued in 1992, noted that "[t]he army has been chronically under strength, 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 [[non-commissioned officers]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Metz|first=Helen C|author-link=Helen Chapin Metz |title=Area Handbook Series: Saudi Arabia. A Country Study.|publisher=FEDERAL RESEARCH DIV, [[Library of Congress]]|location=Washington DC|year=1992|page=253|isbn=9780844407913}}</ref>

===Navy===
{{main|Royal Saudi Navy}}
[[File:Frigate Al Makkah.jpg|thumb|right|''Makkah'', an [[La Fayette-class frigate#Al Riyadh class: Saudi Arabia|''Al Riyadh''-class]] frigate]]
The navy is divided into two fleets: the Western Fleet has bases in [[Jeddah]], [[Jizan]], and [[Al Wajh]]; the Eastern Fleet has bases in [[Al Jubayl]], [[Ad Dammam]], [[Ras Mishab Airport|Ras Mishab]], and Ras al Ghar. The marines are organized into one infantry regiment with two battalions.<ref name="Library of Congress 2006"/>

The navy's inventory includes 11 principal [[surface combatants]], 65 patrol and coastal combatants, 7 mine warfare vessels, 8 amphibious craft, and 7 support and miscellaneous craft. Naval aviation forces have 19 helicopters (armed) serving in naval support.<ref name="Library of Congress 2006"/>

===Air Force===
{{main|Royal Saudi Air Force}}
[[File:RSAF Typhoon at Malta - Gordon Zammit.jpg|thumbnail|[[Eurofighter Typhoon]]]]
The air force is organized in seven fighter/ground-attack squadrons, six fighter squadrons, and seven training squadrons. Saudi Arabia has at least 15 active military airfields.<ref name="Library of Congress 2006"/>

As of 2011, Saudi Arabia has around 300 combat aircraft. The kingdom's combat aircraft are newly acquired [[Eurofighter Typhoon|Typhoon]]s and upgraded [[Panavia Tornado|Tornado IDS]], [[McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle|F-15 Eagle]] and [[McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle|F-15E Strike Eagle]] fighter planes. Saudi Arabia has a further 80+ F-15 Eagles on order and an option to buy another 72 Typhoons.

===Air Defense===
{{main|Royal Saudi Air Defense}}
[[File:3- Saudi Arabia Armed Forces (My Trip To Al-Jenadriyah 32).jpg|thumbnail|Saudi MIM-104 Patriot on display]]
Air Defense was part of the Army until 1981 when it was made a separate service. It operates "Peace Shield" a state-of-the-art radar and air defense system consisting of a Command Operations Center at [[Riyadh]], and main operating bases at [[Dhahran]], [[Taif]], [[Tabuk, Saudi Arabia|Tabuk]], [[Khamis Mushait]] and [[Al Kharj]]. The total system includes 164 sites.<ref name="janes.com">[http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Military-Communications/Peace-Shield-Saudi-Arabia.html "Peace Shield (Saudi Arabia), Systems"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100928042231/http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Military-Communications/Peace-Shield-Saudi-Arabia.html |date=28 September 2010 }}, ''[[Jane's Military Communications]]'', 5 July 2005. Retrieved 23 January 2012</ref>

The system equipment comprises 17 General Electric [[AN/FPS-117]] long-range [[3D radar]]s, 6 Northrop Grumman [[AN/TPS-43]] tactical radars, and Raytheon [[Improved HAWK]] air defense missile system.<ref name="janes.com"/>

===Strategic Missile Force===
{{main|Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force}}
The Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Forces (RSSMF) is equipped with the Chinese [[DF-3A]] (CSS-2) Dongfeng missile sold to Saudi Arabia by China. A conventional high-explosive warhead (2150&nbsp;kg) variant of the DongFeng 3A Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile was developed for an export order to Saudi Arabia in 1987. About 30+ missiles and 9~12 launchers were reportedly delivered in 1988, though no known test launch has ever been made in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://defense-update.com/20140502_saudi-arabia-unveils-part-strategic-missile-force-deterrent-move-iran.html|title=Saudi Arabia unveils part of strategic missile force – a deterrent move against Iran?|access-date=16 May 2020|date=2 May 2014|archive-date=12 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512185009/https://defense-update.com/20140502_saudi-arabia-unveils-part-strategic-missile-force-deterrent-move-iran.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>SinoDefence [http://www.sinodefence.com/strategic/missile/df3.asp "DongFeng 3 (CSS-2) Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814034822/http://www.sinodefence.com/strategic/missile/df3.asp |date=14 August 2013 }}, ''[[sinodefence]]'', 27 February 2009.</ref>
IISS Military Balance 2022 estimates that the SMF has 2,500 personnel. Probably it is separate branch officially called Strategic Missile Forces (guessing by its website URL http://www.smf.gov.sa/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115054542/http://smf.gov.sa/ |date=15 January 2013 }}).

It certainly has one advanced [[Al-Watah ballistic missile base]] (found on the [[satellite images]]) in the rocky central part of Saudi Arabia, some 200&nbsp;km south-west of the capital city [[Riyadh]].<ref>Sean O'Connor, [http://www.janes.com/article/24321/saudi-ballistic-missile-site-revealed "Saudi ballistic missile site revealed"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130714123900/http://www.janes.com/article/24321/saudi-ballistic-missile-site-revealed |date=14 July 2013 }}, ''IHS [[Jane's Defence Weekly]]'', 10 July 2013.</ref> Two other bases include [[Al Sulayyil ballistic missile base]] (the older base located 450&nbsp;km southwest of Riyadh) and Al Jufayr base (placed 90&nbsp;km south of Riyadh) share many similarities, suggesting that they share the same role.