Royal Saudi Air Force

Royal Saudi Air Force
RSAF Flag
Active
Country Saudi Arabia
Part of Saudi Arabian Armed Forces
Nickname RSAF
Engagements Gulf War :
Desert Shield
Battle of Khafji
Desert Storm
Sa'dah Insurgency[1]
Commanders
Chief of Armed forces Khalid bin Sultan
Notable
commanders		 Sultan bin Salman
Insignia
RSAF Roundels Roundel of the Royal Saudi Air Force.svg

The Royal Saudi Air Force (Arabic: القوات الجوية الملكية السعودية‎, al-quwwāt al-ğawwiyyah al-malakiyyah as-suʿūdiyyah), is the air force branch of Saudi Arabian armed forces. The RSAF has developed from a largely defensive military force into one with an advanced offensive capability. The RSAF maintains the third largest fleet of F-15s after the JASDF and the USAF.

The backbone of the RSAF is currently the Panavia Tornado, with the Boeing F-15 Eagle also forming a major component. The Tornado and many other aircraft were delivered under the Al Yamamah contracts with British Aerospace (now BAE Systems). The RSAF ordered various weapons in the 1990s, including Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles, laser-guided bombs and gravity bombs. Al-Salam, a successor to the Al Yamamah agreement will see 72 Eurofighter Typhoons delivered by BAE.

Contents

History

The RSAF was formed in the mid-1920s with British assistance. It was re-organized in 1950 and began to receive American assistance from 1952 including the use of Dhahran by the United States Air Force.

The Saudi forces are equipped with mainly western hardware. Main suppliers are companies in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Both the UK and the US are involved in training programs conducted in Saudi Arabia.

Derelict RSAF T-28A Trojan, one of four acquired in the 1950s, at King Abdulaziz University
RSAF Roundel on the side of a Lightning Aircraft

For Middle Eastern standards the armed forces of Saudi Arabia are relatively small. Its strength however is derived from advanced technology and not from numerical superiority. This is why the armed forces are under a continuing modernization program. The backbone of the fighter force is formed by 134 Tornados from which a batch of 48 Tornado IDS was ordered in 1993 under the al-Yamamah II program and 72 F-15S aircraft delivered from the mid-90s that operate besides the 41 F-15C/D aircraft delivered in the early 90s. Aircraft training is executed on the Pilatus PC-9, BAe Hawk, Boeing F-15D Eagle and the Northrop F-5F Tiger II. The C-130 is the mainstay of the transport fleet and the Hercules is assisted by CASA CN-235s. Reconnaissance is performed by 17sq with their RF-5E and the Boeing E-3A is the Airborne Early Warning platform operated by 18sq.

The VIP support fleet consists of a wide variety of civil registered aircraft such as the Boeing B707, B737 and B747, Lockheed Tri-Stars, MD11s and G1159A as well as Lockheed L-100-30. The HZ- prefix used in the civilian registrations of these aircraft derived from the former name of the territory (Hejaz)

Recent purchases

The Al Yamamah contract was controversial because of the alleged bribes associated with its award. Nonetheless, the RSAF announced its intention to purchase the Eurofighter Typhoon from BAE Systems in December 2005. On 18 August 2006 a memorandum of understanding was signed for 72 aircraft in a GB£6-10 billion deal.[2]

Following this order, the investigation of the Al Yamamah contract was suppressed by the British Prime minister Tony Blair in December 2006, citing "strategic interests" of the UK. On the 17 September 2007 Saudi Arabia announced they had signed a £4.4bn deal with BAE Systems for 72 Eurofighter Typhoons.[3]

Divisions

RSAF BAe Hawk

The RSAF units are divided into Wings that are dispersed across the seven air bases:

Units of the RSAF

RSAF F-15 Eagle flying over the Persian Gulf
RSAF Boeing E-3A Sentry
RSAF Lockheed C-130H Hercules
  • 1 Squadron (Royal Flight/BBJ&HS125)
  • 2 Squadron (F-15)
  • 3 Squadron (F-5-Possibly Transitioning To Eurofighter Typhoons)
  • 4 Squadron (C-130)
  • 5 Squadron (F-15)
  • 6 Squadron (F-15)
  • 7 Squadron (Tornado IDS)
  • 8 Squadron (The Mushshak)
  • 9 Squadron (PC-9)
  • 10 Squadron (Eurofighter Typhoon)
  • 11 Squadron (Royal Flight/G-IV&CE550)
  • 12 Squadron (Bell 212)
  • 13 Squadron (F-15)
  • 14 Squadron (Helicopters)
  • 15 Squadron (F-5B-Possibly Transitioning To Eurofighter Typhoons)
  • 16 Squadron (C-130)
  • 18 Squadron (E-3/KE-3A)
  • 19 Squadron (RE-3A)
  • 21 Squadron (Hawk)
  • 22 Squadron (PC-9)
  • 29 Squadron (Tornado ADV-To Be Replaced with Eurofighter Typhoons)
  • 32 Squadron (KC-130H)
  • 33 Squadron (Royal Medical Flight)
  • 34 Squadron (F-15)
  • 35 Squadron (Jetstream)
  • 44 Squadron (Bell 412)
  • 55 Squadron (F-15)
  • 75 Squadron (Tornado IDS)
  • 79 Squadron (Tornado ADV-To Be Replaced with Eurofighter Typhoons)
  • 83 Squadron (Tornado IDS)
  • 88 Squadron (Hawk)
  • 92 Squadron (F-15)
  • 99 Squadron (Cougar)

Current aircraft inventory

The first Saudi Eurofighter Typhoon was delivered in 2009 and Based in Taif Air base
RSAF AH-64 Apache
An RSAF Tornado F3 during Operation Desert Storm
Boeing F-15S Eagle, the strike fighter of the RSAF
Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force pilot adjusts his oxygen mask while in the cockpit of an F-5 Tiger II aircraft prior to flying a training mission.

In December 2006, The Business online reported that the Saudi government was in talks to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from the French, regardless of how ongoing issues with the Eurofighter Typhoon contract were resolved. The Dassault Rafale contract would reportedly be in addition to the Eurofighter, not an either-or deal. With support and complementary ordnance added in, this could easily become a $5–15 billion transaction of its own.

EADS North America has announced that The Royal Saudi Air Force will acquire 3 of EADS A330 Multi-role Tanker/Transports. In July 2009, 3 additional frames were ordered, bringing the total to 6 A330 MRTTs.

On 12 August 2009, UPI reported that Saudi Arabia was seeking upgrades of their E-3 fleet of electronic warfare and aerial tanker aircraft.[4]

Aircraft Origin Type Versions In service Notes
Agusta-Bell 212  Italy Transport Helicopter - 27
Agusta-Bell AS-61  Italy Transport Helicopter AS-61A-4 3 Royal Flight
Airbus A340  France Transport A340-213 1 Royal Flight
BAe 125  United Kingdom Transport 800B 4 Royal Flight
BAe Hawk  United Kingdom Advanced Trainer Mk 65
Mk 65A		 30
20
BAe Jetstream  United Kingdom Trainer 31 2
Bell 205  United States Transport Helicopter - 24
Bell 406 Combat Scout  United States Attack Helicopter 406CS 13 Operated by Royal Saudi Land Forces
Bell 412  United States Transport Helicopter 412EP 2
Boeing 747  United States VIP Transport 747-300
747SP		 2 Royal Flight
Boeing 757  United States Medical Transport - 1
Boeing AH-64 Apache  United States Attack Helicopter AH-64A 12 Operated by the Land Forces, to be upgraded to AH-64D $400m, a further 12 AH-64D requested for $598m
Mil Mi-24  Russia Attack Helicopter Mi-35 30 in order
Boeing Business Jet  United States Transport BBJ1
BBJ2		 1
1		 Royal Flight
Boeing E-3 Sentry  United States airborne early warning and control 5 seeking upgrades
Boeing F-15 Eagle  United States Fighter F-15C
F-15D
 57
25		 -
Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle  United States Strike fighter F-15S 71 -
Boeing KE-3A  United States Airborne Refuelling KE-3A 8 Being upgraded & then replaced by A330 MRRT
CASA CN-235  Spain Transport CN235M-10 4 Royal Flight
Cessna 550 Citation  United States Transport C550 4 Royal Flight
Eurocopter AS-532 Cougar  France Combat Search and Rescue AS 532M 12
Aérospatiale AS-365 Dauphin  France Naval Helicopter
Medical Helicopter		 SA 365F
SA 365N		 24 SA365F operated by Royal Saudi Naval Forces
Eurocopter SA-332 Super Puma  France Naval Helicopter AS-332F 13 Operated by Royal Saudi Naval Forces
Eurofighter Typhoon  United Kingdom  Italy  Spain  Germany Air Defence Typhoon F.2 6 72 ordered £7 billion, a further 72 could be ordered.
Gates Learjet 35  United States Transport 35A 2 Both transferred to the Royal Saudi Armed Forces Medical Wing in July 2009
Gulfstream III  United States Transport - 2
Gulfstream V  United States Medical Transport -  ?
Kawasaki-Vertol 107  Japan United States Transport Helicopter - 18 Operated by Ministry of the Interior
Lockheed C-130 Hercules  United States Transport C-130E
C-130H
KC-130H
VC-130H		 42
Lockheed L-100  United States Transport L-100-30  ?
McDonnell Douglas MD-11  United States Transport MD-11 1 Royal Flight
Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter  United States Fighter F5A
F-5B		 110 Withdrawn from service aside from in the trainer role, some squadrons such as #10 based in Taif will be replaced with Eurofighter Typhoons.
Super Mushshaaq  Pakistan Trainer - 20
Panavia Tornado IDS  United Kingdom Italy Germany Ground Attack 87 some IDS and ADV to be upgraded at a cost of $4.66 billion, perhaps 80 aircraft in total
Panavia Tornado ADV  United Kingdom Italy Germany Fighter 24 To be withdrawn from service & shipped to the UK in a buy back package part of the Al Salam deal.
Pilatus PC-9  Switzerland Trainer - 50
Reims Cessna F172  France Trainer F172G
F172H
F172M		 8
Mil Mi-17  Russia Transport Helicopter - 120 in order
Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk  United States Transport Helicopter S-70A-1
S-70A-1L		 12 S-70A-1L operated by the Royal Saudi Land Force
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk  United States Transport Helicopter VH-60L 18 Operated by Royal Saudi Land Force, a further 24 UH-60L requested for $350m
Total : +817 Including the 72 Eurofighter Typhoon

Commanders

The following officers have been commanders of the RSAF:

  • Unknown, Lieutenant General Abdul Aziz bin Mohammad Al-Henadi
  • 5 April 2004, Prince Lieutenant General Abdulrahman bin Fahd Al-Faisal[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091105/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_yemen_saudi
  2. ^ [1] - Forbes.com
  3. ^ [2] - BBC.co.uk
  4. ^ Saudis seek upgrade of E-3 AWACS, tankers
  5. ^ http://www.saudinf.com/main/y7030.htm

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