The Royal Saudi Air Force ( ar, ‎الْقُوَّاتُ الْجَوِّيَّةُ الْمَلَكِيَّةْ ٱلسُّعُوْدِيَّة, Al-Quwwat Al-Jawiyah Al-Malakiyah as-Su’udiyah) (RSAF) is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces. The Royal Saudi Air Force currently has approximately 1,106 aircraft, 40,000 active personnel, 23,000 recruits, 9 wings, +99 squadrons, and a Special Forces unit dedicated to combat search and rescue. The RSAF has developed from a largely defensive military force into one with an advanced offensive capability, and maintains the third largest fleet of F-15s after the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

air forces. The backbone of the RSAF is currently the

Boeing F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American Twinjet, twin-engine, all-weather Air combat manoeuvring#Tactics, tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States ...

, with the Panavia Tornado 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 bomb An unguided bomb, also known as a free-fall bomb, gravity bomb, dumb bomb, or iron bomb, is a conventional or nuclear aircraft-delivered bomb that does not contain a guidance system and hence simply follows a ballistic trajectory. This describe ...

s. Al-Salam, a successor to the Al Yamamah agreement will see 48

Eurofighter Typhoon The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo ...

s delivered by BAE.

History

The RSAF was formed in the mid-1920s with British assistance from the remains of the Hejaz Air Force. It was initially equipped with Westland Wapiti IIA general purpose aircraft flown by pilots who had served

Ali of Hejaz Ali bin Hussein, GBE ( ar, علي بن الحسين بن علي الهاشمي, translit=Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn Alī el-Hâşimî; 18791935), was King of Hejaz and Grand Sharif of Mecca from October 1924 until he was deposed by Abdulaziz bi ...

but had been pardoned by the Saudi king. It was re-organized in 1950 and began to receive American assistance from 1952 including the use of Dhahran Airfield by the United States Air Force. Early aircraft used by the RSAF included the Caproni Ca.100,

Albatros D.III The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service ('' Luftstreitkräfte'') during World War I. A modified licence model was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service ( ''Luftfahrtruppen''). ...

, Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8, Farman MF.11 Airco DH.9, dH 82 Tiger Moth,

Westland Wapiti The Westland Wapiti was a British two-seat general-purpose military single-engined biplane of the 1920s. It was designed and built by Westland Aircraft Works to replace the Airco DH.9A in Royal Air Force service. First flying in 1927, the Wa ...

Avro Anson The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCA ...

Douglas C-47 The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, RNZAF, and South African Air Force, SAAF designation) is a airlift, military transport ai ...

, and the

B-26 Invader The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during several major Col ...

. As part of the ''Magic Carpet'' arms deal between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, four single-seat Hawker Hunter F.6s and two Hunter T.7s were ordered from Hawker in 1966. The aircraft were delivered to No. 6 Squadron at Khamis Mushayt Airbase in May 1966. Although the Hunters were operational following attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Egyptian Air Force they were not a success as interceptors as they lacked any ground control but were used for ground attack. One single-seat aircraft was lost in 1967 and the remaining aircraft were presented to Jordan in 1968. The Saudi forces are equipped with mainly western equipment. Main suppliers to the RSAF are companies based in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and the United States. Both the UK and the US are involved in training programs conducted in Saudi Arabia. During the 1980s and 1990s, by Middle Eastern standards the armed forces of Saudi Arabia were relatively small. Its strength however was derived from advanced technology. The backbone of the strike / ground attack force is formed by ca 70 Tornados (a second batch of 48 Tornado IDS were ordered in 1993 under the al-Yamamah II program), and 72 F-15S aircraft delivered from the mid-1990s that operate beside the remnants of more than 120 F-15C/D aircraft delivered starting in 1981. Pilot training is executed on the

Pilatus PC-21 The Pilatus PC-21 is a turboprop-powered advanced trainer with a stepped tandem cockpit. It is manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. Development In November 1997 Pilatus flew a modified PC-7 Mk.II in order to test improvements for a ...

and

BAe Hawk The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft. It was first flown at Dunsfold, Surrey, in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, and subsequently produced by its successor companies, British Aerospace and B ...

. The C-130 Hercules is the mainstay of the transport fleet and the Hercules is assisted by CN-235s and Raytheon King Air 350 light transports. Reconnaissance is performed by Tornadoes and F-15s equipped with the DJRP electro-optical reconnaissance pod. The Boeing E-3A is the Airborne Early Warning platform operated by No. 18 Squadron RSAF. The VIP support fleet consists of a wide variety of civil registered aircraft such as the

Airbus A330 The Airbus A330 is a wide-body aircraft developed and produced by Airbus. Airbus conceived several derivatives of the A300, its first airliner in the mid-1970s. Then the company began development on the A330 twinjet in parallel with the A340 ...

, Airbus A320, 737 and 747, 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). From 1989 to 1991 three

Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...

of the RSAF were destroyed in accidents.

Purchases during the 2000s

The Al Yamamah contract was controversial because of the alleged bribes associated with its award. Nonetheless, the RSAF announced its intention to purchase the 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. 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 17 September 2007 Saudi Arabia announced it had signed a £4.4bn deal with BAE Systems for 72 Typhoons. On 29 December 2011, the United States signed a $29.4 billion deal to sell 84 F-15s in the SA (Saudi Advanced) configuration. The sale includes upgrades for the older F-15s up to the SA standard and related equipment and services. On 23 May 2012, the British defence firm BAE Systems agreed to sell 22

BAE Hawk The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft. It was first flown at Dunsfold, Surrey, in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, and subsequently produced by its successor companies, British Aerospace and B ...

advanced jet trainer aircraft to the Royal Saudi Air Force for a total of £1.9 billion ($3 billion). The deal also included simulators, ground and training equipment and spares. In April 2013, BAE Systems delivered the first two new Typhoons of 24 to Saudi Arabia. In 2013, the USAF tendered an offer for security services to protect the Saudi air force from cyberwarfare attacks. In March 2021, RSAF started a joint military exercise, that will last until April 10, with the US and Pakistani Air Forces that will help in exchanging experiences and expertise.

Structure

The RSAF is divided into nine Wings that are dispersed across seven Air Bases: * RSAF Wing 1 at King Khalid Air Base, Khamis Mushait * RSAF Wing 2 at King Fahad Air Base,

Taif Taif ( ar, , translit=aṭ-Ṭāʾif, lit=The circulated or encircled, ) is a city and governorate in the Makkan Region of Saudi Arabia. Located at an elevation of in the slopes of the Hijaz Mountains, which themselves are part of the Sarat M ...

. Listed by scramble.nl in mid-2020 as including Nos 3, 5, No. 10, 14, 34, and 80 Squadrons; plus an AB212 detachment of 12 Squadron. * RSAF Wing 3 at King Abdulaziz Air Base,

Dhahran Dhahran ( ar, الظهران, ''Al-Dhahran'') is a city located in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. With a total population of 240,742 as of 2021, it is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Together with the nearby citi ...

* RSAF Wing 4 at King Saud Air Base,

King Khalid Military City King Khalid Military City (KKMC) ( ar, مدينة الملك خالد العسكرية; transliterated: ''Medinat Al-Malek Khaled Al-Askariyah'') is a special city in northeastern Saudi Arabia and about 60 km south of Hafar al-Batin city, d ...

* RSAF Wing 5 at King Khalid Air Base, Khamis Mushait. Listed by scramble.nl in mid-2020 as including Nos 6, 99, 202, and 203 Squadrons; plus 55 Squadron, the F-15 FTU, and a detachment of 14 Squadron.Scramble: Saudi Arabia
accessed August 2020. * RSAF Wing 6 at

Prince Sultan Air Base Prince Sultan Air Base ( ar, قاعدة الأمير سلطان الجوية) (PSAB) is a military air base located in the closed-city of Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. History There was formerly a large United States presence there during Opera ...

Al Kharj Kharj ( ar, الخرج) is a governorate in central Saudi Arabia. It is one of the important governorates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is located in the southeast of the capital Riyadh, within an area of 19,790 km2 ~ 4,890,215.5 acres, and ...

* RSAF Wing 7 at King Faisal Air Base, Tabuk. Listed by scramble.nl in mid-2020 as including Nos 2, 21, 29, 37, 79 Squadrons; plus 88 Squadron, the "Saudi Falcons" aerobatic team. * RSAF Wing 8 at King Abdullah Air Base, Jeddah * RSAF Wing 11 at King Abdulaziz Air Base, Dhahran

Squadrons

English Electric Lightning T55 (5761848221)

* 1 Squadron (Royal Flight/BBJ&HS125) * 2 Squadron (F-15C And F-15D) - previously English Electric Lightning at Tabuk, up until at least 1985.Orbis, "Warplane" partwork, Issue 20 (1985), p388. * 3 Squadron (Eurofighter Typhoon) * 4 Squadron (C-130) * 5 Squadron (F-15C And F-15D) * 6 Squadron (F-15SA) * 7 Squadron (Tornado IDS) * 8 Squadron (Cirrus SR22) * 9 Squadron (PC-21) * 10 Squadron (Eurofighter Typhoon) * 11 Squadron (Royal Flight/G-IV&CE550) * 12 Squadron (Bell 212) * 13 Squadron (F-15C And F-15D) - previously English Electric Lightning. * 14 Squadron (Helicopters) * 15 Squadron (OUT SERVICE) * 16 Squadron (C-130) * 18 Squadron (E-3) * 19 Squadron (RE-3A) * 21 Squadron (BAE Hawk) * 22 Squadron (PC-21) * 23 Squadron (KE-3) * 24 Squadron (A330 MRTT) * 25 Squadron (Bell 412) * 29 Squadron (Tornado ADV to be replaced with the F-15SA) * 30 Squadron (Helicopters) * 32 Squadron (KC-130H And KC-130J) * 33 Squadron (Royal Medical Flight) * 34 Squadron (F-15C And F-15D) * 35 Squadron (Jetstream) * 37 Squadron (BAE HAWK) * 42 Squadron (F-15C AND F-15D) * 44 Squadron (Bell 412) * 55 Squadron (F-15SA) * 66 Squadron (Tornado IDS) * 75 Squadron (Tornado IDS) * 79 Squadron (BAE Hawk) * 80 Squadron (Eurofighter Typhoon) * 83 Squadron (Tornado IDS) * 88 Squadron (Hawk) * 92 Squadron (F-15S) * 99 Squadron (Cougar)

Equipment

RSF484 departing East Midlands Airport (altered)

Aircraft

Retired

Previous aircraft flown by the Royal Saudi Air Force included the F-86F Sabre, dH 100 Vampire FB.52, BAC Strikemaster Mk 80, DHC-1 Chipmunk Mk 10, C-54A Skymaster, C-123B Provider, T-6A Texan, T-33A Shooting Star, Cessna 310,

O-1 Bird Dog The Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog is a liaison and observation aircraft. It was the first all-metal fixed-wing aircraft ordered for and by the United States Army following the Army Air Forces' separation from it in 1947. The Bird Dog had a lengthy ...

, T-35A Buckaroo, T-34A Mentor, OH-58A Kiowa, T-28A Trojan, F-5 Tiger II, Lockheed JetStar, dH Comet 4C (VIP transport), BAe 146, Alouette III, BAC Lightning F.52, F53 and T.55

Drones

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest countries that owns unmanned aerial vehicles, whether they are attack, surveillance, or reconnaissance. In 2012, Saudi Arabia purchased 50 Italia
Selex Galileo Falco
drones. In 2014, Saudi Arabia signed a contract with China to purchas
Chengdu and Ying Loong
drones, and Saudi Arabia has still more to receive so far. In April 2013, Saudi Arabia announced its desire to buy 6 Turkis
TAI Anka
drones. Saudi Arabia has pursued projects to manufacture national drones, the first of which was in 2012, when Saudi Arabi
announced a program to manufacture drones
in the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, and the project was called Saqr, and +300 aircraft have been produced so far, and 3 updated copies of the plane. Saudi Arabia also announced the new drone calle
Smoom
th
Saudi crown prince and the Egyptian President Abdul-Fattah As-Sisi stood in front of it
while president Abdul-Fattah Al-Sisi showed interest on it. Saudi Arabia also announced lately to start produce the high capability drone calle
SkyGuard
And it established a laboratory for robotic vehicle research at the Prince Sultan Institute for Advanced Technology Research at King Saud University. The laboratory aims to build and transfer technology in the field of smart vehicles of all kinds, such as unmanned aircraft, autonomous land vehicles, and others. The laboratory has manufactured many unmanned aircraft, and the aircraft are still under testing and development. Saudi Arabia has started technology transfer projects and joint ventures with countries to manufacture drones. The General Organization for Military Industries obtained a license to manufacture the German plane
Luna
, and Saudi Arabia has manufactured hundreds of them and serve in the Saudi armed forces. Saudi Arabia entered into a joint venture with South Africa to manufacture th
Seker 400
armed aircraft.

Commanders

The following officers have been commanders of the RSAF: # Captain Abdullah al-Mandili # Major Rashid al-Saleh # Major

Gen Gen may refer to: * ''Gen'' (film), 2006 Turkish horror film directed by Togan Gökbakar * Gen (Street Fighter), a video game character from the ''Street Fighter'' series * Gen Fu, a video game character from the ''Dead or Alive'' series * Gen l ...

. Ibrahim al-Tassan (1950–1966) # Major

. Hashim bin Said Hashim (1966–1972) # Lt.

. Asaad al-Zuhair (1972–1980) # Lt.

. Mohammed Sabri Suleiman (1980–1984) # Lt.

. Abdullah bin AbdulAziz al-Hamdan (1984–1987) # Lt.

. Ahmed Ibrahim Behery (1987 – March 1996) # Lt.

. Abdul Aziz bin Mohammad Al-Henadi (March 1996 – 4 April 2004) # Lt.

. Prince Abdulrahman Al-Faisal (4 April 2004 – 16 June 2010) # Lt.

. Mohammed Al-Ayesh (16 June 2010 – 10 May 2013) # Lt.

. Fayyadh Al Ruwaili (10 May 2013 – 14 May 2014)Mystery surrounds death of Saudi chief of staff
. Arabian Aerospace. Published 25 June 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2017. Saudi Lt-General Fayyadh Al-Ruwaili, new RSAF Commander
. Tactical Report. Published 13 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2017. # Lt.

. Muhammad Al Shaalan (14 May 2014 – 10 June 2015) # Major

. Mohammed al-Otaibi (10 June 2015 – 26 February 2018)O'Connor, Tom (26 February 2018)
Saudi Arabia Changes Government Up, Switching Top Military Leader Amid Yemen War Struggle
. ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...

''. Retrieved 27 February 2018. Saudi Major-General Al-Ghamdi, Acting RSAF Commander
. Published 24 June 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2017. # Lt.

. Turki bin Bandar (26 February 2018 – present)

References

External links

*
Order of Battle
at ''Scramble'' magazine
"The Royal Saudi Air Force – A Paper Tiger, Minus the Tiger"
{{Authority control Air force 20th century in Saudi Arabia 1920s establishments in Saudi Arabia Military units and formations established in 1916 1916 establishments in Asia Air forces by country