Saudi Navy

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The Saudi Navy is the Naval force of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Navy has about 12,000 officers and men, including 1200 Marines. The Naval headquaters is in Riyadh. The Western Fleet is based in the Red Sea with the main base at Jeddah. The Eastern Fleet is based in the Persian Gulf with the headquarters at Jubail. Other naval facilities were located at Yanbu, Dammam, and Ras al Mishab.

Contents 1 History 2 Ships 2.1 Frigates 2.2 Corvettes 2.3 Minesweepers 2.4 Support Vessels 2.5 Others 3 Ranks 4 References

[edit] History

The Navy was founded in 1960 and began a significant expansion with US assistance in 1972 aiming to match the Imperial Iranian Navy. Following the Iranian Revolution a further expansion programme was initiated with French assistance, this was the Sawari programme. Further vessels were purchased from Britain and France in the 1980's and 1990's.

[edit] Ships

The navy is a modern force with French built frigates and British built Sandown class minehunters

[edit] Frigates

• Al Riyadh class frigates - 3 ships modified versions of the La Fayette class frigate
• Al Medinah class frigates - 4 ships based in the Red Sea, built in France in mid 1980's

[edit] Corvettes

• Badr class corvettes - 4 ships built in USA in the 1980's, based in Persian Gulf
• Al Sadiq class corvettes - 9 ships built in USA 1972-1980

[edit] Minesweepers

• Sandown class minehunters - 6 ships

[edit] Support Vessels

• 2 modified Durance type replenishing ships

[edit] Others

Many smaller patrol craft

[edit] Ranks

[edit] References

• Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995
• [1]