| القوة البحرية الكويتية Kuwait Naval Force |
|
|---|---|
| Active | |
| Country | Kuwait |
| Branch | Military of Kuwait |
| Type | Navy |
| Size | 2,000 |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Vice Adm. Ahmed AlMulla |
| Vice Commander | Rear Adm. Marzoq AlBader |
The Kuwaiti navy, or Kuwait Naval Force (Arabic: القوة البحرية الكويتية), 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 consists of over 2,000 officers and enlisted personnel, including approximately 400 coast guard.[1]
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Kuwait's Navy was established in 1961[2] shortly after Britain ended the country's protectorate status and Kuwait became fully independent.
During the Invasion of Kuwait, part of the Persian Gulf War, Kuwait's navy was almost completely destroyed.[3] At the start of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, Iraqi forces captured 6 Kuwait missile boats armed with Exocet missiles[4] and Kuwait lost 17 ships of other classes during the war.
The capture of the Exocets raised fears that Iraq might use them against coalition forces during the Gulf War. Iraq did not use them and the captured vessels were all heavily damaged or sunk by coalition forces. During the war, the two Lürssen's that evaded Iraqi capture helped retake Kuwaiti coastal islands and oil platforms.
On 11 November 2008, Kuwait Naval Base was the location of the historic signing of the non-legally binding maritime Khawr Abd Allah Protocols otherwise known as the KAA Protocols. The signing of the KAA Protocols by the respective heads of the Kuwaiti Naval Force and the Iraqi Navy was the first formal and successful maritime bilateral military agreement for the co-ordinated and de-conflicted use of the Khawr Abd Allah waterway since before the 1991 Persian Gulf War. The protocols were developed and mediated by the British Royal Navy in 2008 and subsequently ratified by the Kuwaiti and Iraqi governments before the 11 November 2008 signing. They were subsequently reported to the US Congress within the December 2008 'Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq' report.
Personnel year 2008: 2,700 (includes 500 coast guard)
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