Kuwaiti Navy

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The coat of arms of Kuwait's navy

The Kuwaiti navy, or Kuwait Naval Force, is the sea-based component of the Military of Kuwait. The headquarters and sole naval base is Ras al-Qulayah Naval Base, located in the south of Kuwait, approximately 35 miles (56 km) south of Kuwait City. The Kuwait Naval Force numbers approximately 2,000 officers and enlisted personnel, including approximately 400 coast guard.

Never a large force, the Kuwaiti navy was almost completely destroyed by Iraq in the Persian Gulf War. Two Lürssen Fast Attack Craft, armed with Exocet anti-ship missiles, escaped, but six remaining Exocet-armed craft were captured by Iraqi forces. This caused concern that Iraq could use the Exocet missiles to defend against coalition forces during the Gulf War, but in the end, this threat did not pan out, and the captured vessels were heavily damaged or sunk by coalition forces. During Gulf War offensive operations, the two Lürssen craft, manned with a contingent of marine forces, were able to retake several of Kuwait's coastal islands and oil platforms.

Today, in addition to the two Lürssen craft, the offensive power of the Kuwait Naval Force consists of eight Um Al Maradim Class fast attack craft (a variant of La Construction Mecaniques de Normandie (CMN) Combattante I), armed with the Sea Skua missile system. The remainder of the fleet consists of six patrol boats, two storm boats, and a support vessel.

Ras al-Qulayah Naval Base also houses Camp Patriot, a non-permanent United States Army encampment involved in port operations, as well as United States Navy and United States Coast Guard vessels supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom