The Royal Bahraini Army is the ground force component of the Bahrain Defence Force. The army's current strength is 20,000 personnel. It is headed by Lieutenant General Khalifa bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa.

History Bahraini ground troops took part in the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen in the Yemeni civil war. In September 2015, five Bahraini soldiers guarding the Yemeni–Saudi Arabian border were killed in unspecified circumstances.UAE, Bahrain lose 50 troops on black day for Yemen coalition. Dawn News. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2016. Another three died in Yemen afterwards.

Formation The army consists of 3 brigades and 2 battalions:

1 Armoured Brigade 2 armoured battalions 1 recon battalion 1 Mechanized Infantry Brigade 2 mechanized infantry battalions 1 infantry battalion 1 Artillery Brigade 6 artillery batteries 1 air defence battalion 1 special forces battalion

Equipment The RBA has a mix of equipment purchased in the 1970s and early 1990s. They are currently modernizing some of their equipment. Most purchases in the past have been second hand from the United States or the United Kingdom. In the past few years, Bahrain has begun developing military capabilities, through the purchase of equipment from Turkey, including armoured vehicles such as Otokar Arma and Otokar Akrep (Armoured combat vehicle).

In 2019, the U.S. State Department cleared a $2.5 billion sale of the Patriot missile-defense system to Bahrain. The deal would include 60 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement missiles, 36 Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missiles with canisters, nine M903 launchers, two AN/MPQ-65 radar sets, control stations and other associated equipment.

8 M-ATV light armored vehicles in service

Armoured fighting vehicles ImageNameClassOriginQuantityDetailsM1A2 SEPv3Main battle tank~50not delivered M60A3Main battle tank~10080 more in storage. ImageNameClassOriginNumberNotes YPR-765 IFV 75 25 Netherlands-origin YPR-765 ACV delivered in 1996, 42 Belgium-origin AIFV-IFV delivered in 2008. M113 Armoured personnel carrier 339 A total of 339 M113A2 were delivered Lynx Command and recon 35 Panhard M3 Armoured personnel carrier 110 Ordered in 1977, most of them modified, including some ambulance, CP, AEV, ARV, and 81mm mortar carrier versions Saxon Armoured personnel carrier 10 Purchased in the 1980s AML-90 Armoured car 22 Ordered in 1977 Otokar Arma Armoured personnel carrier 73 In service from 2010 Otokar ZPT Armoured patrol vehicle 133 In service 2012/13 Otokar Akrep Infantry mobility vehicle 21 In service 2005 Otokar Cobra Infantry mobility vehicle 15 In service 2008 Humvee Infantry mobility vehicle 200+ 2 types: BGM-71 TOW missile (44) and Browning M2HB Kornet-D Anti-tank guided missile 10+ The Kornet-EM is based on the chassis of the Tigr 4x4 light armored vehicle with two retractable launcher units, each with four missiles ready to fire. In road position, the launcher units are stowed inside the vehicle. Interceptor Light armoured vehicle 0 6 on order of these light-protected vehicles, it is likely that a series contract of minimum of 50 more vehicles would be further awarded Nimer-1 MRAP 6 In service since 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser Utility vehicle 200+ Locally modified - VDJ78R Troop Carrier Chevrolet Silverado Multi-purpose vehicle 50+

Air Defense Systems PhotoNameOriginTypeNumberDetailsMIM-104 PatriotUnited StatesSurface-to-air missiles1Raytheon awarded contract to supply Patriot missiles defense systems. MIM-23 Hawk Surface-to-air missile 8 AN/TWQ-1 Avenger Surface-to-air missile 10+ Self-propelled surface-to-air missile system mounted on a HMMWV Crotale Surface-to-air missile 7 FIM-92A Man-portable air-defense system 14–16 Delivered 1988 along with 70 missiles RBS 70 Short range air defense 14 Delivered 1980–81 along with 161 missiles Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon Autocannon 15 GDF-005 units Bofors 40 mm Autocannon 12

Artillery PhotoNameOriginTypeNumberDetails M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System Multiple launch rocket system 9 MGM-140 ATACMS SR-5 Multiple launch rocket system 8+ M110A2 howitzer Self-propelled howitzer 38 13 as M110A2 from Netherlands delivered in 1994, 25 as M110A2 from US delivered in 1996. M198 howitzer Howitzer 18 L118 Field gun 8 81mm EIMOS Integrated Mortar System Mortar 6

Anti-tank Weapons PhotoNameOriginTypeNumberDetails 120 mm BAT recoilless rifle Anti tank rifle 10+ BGM-71C Anti-tank missile Unknown A total of 2,724 missiles delivered since 1983 FGM-148 Javelin Anti-tank missile 60 180+ missiles Kornet-EM Unknown

Weapons Type/ClassQuantityOriginDetails Heckler & Koch G3 West Germany FN FAL Belgium M16A2 rifle ? United States M4 carbine ? United States Barrett M82 anti-materiel rifle ? United States Heckler & Koch MP5 ? West Germany Browning Hi-Power BelgiumSIG Sauer P226Germany FN MAG Belgium M2 Browning Belgium

Additional equipment on order by the army include: Type/ClassQuantityOriginDetails Logistics Vehicle System heavy tactical vehicle system 100+ United States Transport of armored vehicles and tanks M939 Truck 6x6 trucks 100+ United States MAN Truck & Bus military transport 200+ United States Toyota Coaster troops transport 100+ Japan

Retired equipment were made in the 1950s and 1960s: Type/ClassQuantityOriginDetails Ferret Armoured Fighting Vehicle 10 UK Alvis Saladin 10 UK

See also Military of Bahrain Royal Bahrain Naval Force Royal Bahraini Air Force

References

Sources Bahrain Bahrain Army Equipment