Defence ministry: Ministry of Defence (on government.ginc.org). Services: National Cybersecurity Authority, Saudi Arabian National Guard, General Directorate of Border Guard, Royal Saudi Land Forces, Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Royal Saudi Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Defence Force, Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force, General Staff.
Saudi Arabia on government.ginc.org · companies.ginc.org (when it opens)
- Active personnel, published
- 292,500
- World Bank armed forces total: 282,000 (2020)
- Reserves, published
- –
- Whole security apparatus, published
- 292,500
- Headcount published for 39 per cent of services, agencies and formations
- Active platforms
- 12,697
- Land 10,105 · Air 2,185 · Cyber and C4ISR 239 · Sea 168
- Median year in service
- 1979
- Interquartile 1961–1983, weighted by count
- Domestic share
- 5 per cent
- Of active platforms with a known origin
- Supplier concentration
- 0.32
- Herfindahl index of origin across 15 supplier nations
Force fingerprint
The national security structure sized by active headcount, always from the head of state: row 1 the head of state and government, row 2 the governing bodies (grey, each as wide as the forces beneath it), row 3 the services and agencies coloured by security domain, row 4 the major commands, row 5 the major formations. A hatched segment is a body whose headcount is not published.
Order of battle
The whole national security structure from the head of state down to major formations. Bars are as wide as their headcount; the state and government bodies are drawn grey, as the government directory has them. Click a bar to zoom into it.
Known unknowns
- The General Intelligence Presidency and the Presidency of State Security publish no headcount, budget or internal organisation; the State Security components listed are those named in the 2017 royal order that created the Presidency.
- The Ministry of Defence publishes no personnel figures for the armed forces; all service figures below are secondary estimates.
- The Royal Saudi Land Forces' and Saudi Arabian National Guard's formation-level order of battle is not published on official sites and is omitted.
- The strength and command arrangements of the Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force are not published.
Equipment fingerprint
Holdings by taxonomy: row 1 the ministry and its services, row 2 the six domains, row 3 the categories, row 4 each platform held as wide as its count, row 5 its split into active, reserve and on order. A hatched segment is a platform held with no published count.
Holdings
One row per platform held. Each figure is a claim with a source: the most recent official figure where one is published, else the most recent Wikipedia equipment list, else SIPRI's delivered total. Figures are never averaged.
| Reserve | On order | Figure from | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land · Main battle tank | |||||||
| M1 Abrams M1A2SRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Main battle tank | 575 | United States | 1980 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| M60A3Royal Saudi Land Forces | Main battle tank | 370 | United States | 1961 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| AMX-30SARoyal Saudi Air Defence Force, Royal Saudi Land Forces | Main battle tank | 140 | France | 1966 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| AMX-30Royal Saudi Land Forces | Main battle tank | 55 | France | 1966 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| LeclercRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Main battle tank | held | France | 1993 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | ||
| Land · Infantry fighting vehicle | |||||||
| PiranhaSaudi Arabian National Guard | Infantry fighting vehicle | 1,117 | Switzerland | Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard | |||
| Commando V-150SSaudi Arabian National Guard | Infantry fighting vehicle | 579 | United States | 1963 | Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guardlow | ||
| AMX-10PRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Infantry fighting vehicle | 470 | France | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | |||
| M2 Bradley M2A2Royal Saudi Land Forces | Infantry fighting vehicle | 380 | United States | 1981 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| Al-FahdRoyal Saudi Land Forces, Saudi Arabian National Guard | Infantry fighting vehicle | 100 | Saudi Arabia | Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard | |||
| LAV IIISaudi Arabian National Guard | Infantry fighting vehicle | 19 | Canada | Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard | |||
| Land · Armoured personnel carrier | |||||||
| Oshkosh M-ATVRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Armoured personnel carrier | 1,800 | United States | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | |||
| M113A1 M113A3Royal Saudi Land Forces | Armoured personnel carrier | 1,190 | United States | 1960 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| Renault Sherpa 2 ScoutRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Armoured personnel carrier | 100 | France | 2006 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé VAB Mk3Royal Saudi Land Forces | Armoured personnel carrier | 100 | France | 1976 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| Mamba | Armoured personnel carrier | 25 | South Africa | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | |||
| EE-11 UrutuSaudi Arabian National Guard | Armoured personnel carrier | 20 | Brazil | Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard | |||
| Otokar Cobra IIRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Armoured personnel carrier | held | Türkiye | 2013 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | ||
| Shibl 2Royal Saudi Land Forces | Armoured personnel carrier | held | Saudi Arabia | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | |||
| Land · Reconnaissance and light armour | |||||||
| LAV-25 | Reconnaissance and light armour | 748 | Canada | 1983 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| LAV II ten different varietiesSaudi Arabian National Guard | Reconnaissance and light armour | 724 | Canada | Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard | |||
| AML-60 AML-90Royal Saudi Land Forces | Reconnaissance and light armour | 300 | France | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | |||
| GURKHARoyal Saudi Land Forces | Reconnaissance and light armour | 159 | Canada | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | |||
| Didgori-2Royal Saudi Land Forces | Reconnaissance and light armour | 100 | Georgia | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | |||
| LAV-25 Multiple variantsSaudi Arabian National Guard | Reconnaissance and light armour | held | Canada | 1983 | Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guardlow | ||
| Land · Self-propelled artillery | |||||||
| PLZ-45Royal Saudi Land Forces | Self-propelled artillery | 54 | China | 2000 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| AMX-30 AuF1Royal Saudi Land Forces | Self-propelled artillery | held | France | 1977 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | ||
| M109Royal Saudi Land Forces | Self-propelled artillery | held | United States | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | |||
| Land · Towed artillery | |||||||
| MO-120-RT | Towed artillery | 251 | France | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | |||
| M198Royal Saudi Land Forces | Towed artillery | 159 | United States | 1979 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| CAESAR self-propelled howitzerRoyal Saudi Land Forces, Saudi Arabian National Guard | Towed artillery | 156 | France | 2008 | Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard | ||
| GIAT LG1Royal Saudi Land Forces | Towed artillery | 91 | France | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | |||
| TRF1 | Towed artillery | 28 | France | 1979 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| Gun Howitzer Noricum | Towed artillery | 5 | Canada | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | |||
| Astros IIRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Towed artillery | held | Brazil | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | |||
| Bofors 40 mm L/70Royal Saudi Air Defence Force | Towed artillery | held | Sweden | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Defence Forcelow | |||
| Brimstone | Towed artillery | held | United Kingdom | 2005 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| CrotaleRoyal Saudi Air Defence Force | Towed artillery | held | France | 1971 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| M777Royal Saudi Land Forces | Towed artillery | held | United Kingdom | 2005 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | ||
| ShahineRoyal Saudi Air Defence Force | Towed artillery | held | France | 1971 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Defence Forcelow | ||
| Land · Rocket artillery and MLRS | |||||||
| BM-21 Grad | Rocket artillery and MLRS | held | Soviet Union | 1963 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| K239 ChunmooRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Rocket artillery and MLRS | held | South Korea | 2015 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| M270 Multiple Launch Rocket SystemRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Rocket artillery and MLRS | held | United States | 1983 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | ||
| TOS-1Royal Saudi Land Forces | Rocket artillery and MLRS | held | Soviet Union | 1988 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| Land · Mortars (120 mm+) | |||||||
| K6 | Mortars (120 mm+) | 63 | Israel | 1991 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| Land · Anti-tank missile system | |||||||
| 9M133 KornetRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Anti-tank missile system | held | Russia | 1994 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | ||
| APILASRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Anti-tank missile system | held | France | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | |||
| BILL anti-tank guided weaponRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Anti-tank missile system | held | Sweden | 1985 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | ||
| FGM-148 JavelinRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Anti-tank missile system | held | United States | 1996 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | ||
| MBT LAWRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Anti-tank missile system | held | Sweden | 2007 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | ||
| RPG-7Saudi Arabian National Guard | Anti-tank missile system | held | Soviet Union | 1960 | Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guardlow | ||
| Land · Ground-based air defence (short range) | |||||||
| AT-1K RayboltRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Ground-based air defence (short range) | held | South Korea | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | |||
| FIM-43 RedeyeRoyal Saudi Air Defence Force | Ground-based air defence (short range) | held | United States | 1968 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Defence Forcelow | ||
| FIM-92 StingerRoyal Saudi Air Defence Force | Ground-based air defence (short range) | held | United States | 1981 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Defence Forcelow | ||
| Land · Ground-based air defence (medium and long range) | |||||||
| MICA | Ground-based air defence (medium and long range) | held | France | 1996 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| MIM-104 Patriot | Ground-based air defence (medium and long range) | held | United States | 1981 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| Martlet | Ground-based air defence (medium and long range) | held | United Kingdom | 2015 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| MistralRoyal Saudi Air Defence Force | Ground-based air defence (medium and long range) | held | France | 1988 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| PAC-2 PatriotRoyal Saudi Air Defence Force | Ground-based air defence (medium and long range) | held | United States | 1981 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Defence Forcelow | ||
| Land · Engineering and bridging | |||||||
| M88 Recovery Vehicle M88A1Royal Saudi Land Forces | Engineering and bridging | 122 | United States | 1961 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| M578 Light Recovery VehicleRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Engineering and bridging | 90 | United States | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | |||
| M728 combat engineer vehicleRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Engineering and bridging | 15 | United States | 1965 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| Sea · Amphibious assault ship | |||||||
| M3 VTT M3Royal Saudi Land Forces | Amphibious assault ship | 150 | France | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | |||
| Sea · Frigate | |||||||
| Al Madinah-class frigateRoyal Saudi Naval Forces | Frigate | 4 | Saudi Arabia | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Naval Forces | |||
| La Fayette-class frigateRoyal Saudi Naval Forces | Frigate | 3 | France | 1992 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Naval Forces | ||
| Sea · Corvette and OPV | |||||||
| Al Jubail classRoyal Saudi Naval Forces | Corvette and OPV | 5 | Spain | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Naval Forces | |||
| Badr-class corvetteRoyal Saudi Naval Forces | Corvette and OPV | 4 | Saudi Arabia | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Naval Forces | |||
| Sea · Replenishment and auxiliary | |||||||
| Boraida-class replenishment oilerRoyal Saudi Naval Forces | Replenishment and auxiliary | 2 | France | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Naval Forces | |||
| Air · Fighter and multirole | |||||||
| F-15EX Eagle II F-15SARoyal Saudi Air Force | Fighter and multirole | 210 | United States | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | |||
| McDonnell Douglas F-15 EagleRoyal Saudi Air Force | Fighter and multirole | 210 | United States | 1976 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle F-15SRRoyal Saudi Air Force | Fighter and multirole | 210 | United States | 1988 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Panavia Tornado IDSRoyal Saudi Air Force | Fighter and multirole | 81 | United Kingdom | 1980 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Eurofighter TyphoonRoyal Saudi Air Force | Fighter and multirole | 72 | Germany | 2003 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II F-35ARoyal Saudi Air Force | Fighter and multirole | 0 | United States | 2015 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Air · Attack helicopter | |||||||
| Hughes AH-64 Apache AH-64D AH-64ERoyal Saudi Land Forces | Attack helicopter | 47 | United States | 1984 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| AH-6 Little BirdSaudi Arabian National Guard | Attack helicopter | 34 | United States | Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard | |||
| Air · Tanker | |||||||
| Airbus A330 MRTT A330-243 MRTTRoyal Saudi Air Force | Tanker | 12 | France | 2011 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Boeing 707 KE-3ARoyal Saudi Air Force | Tanker | 7 | United States | 1958 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Lockheed KC-130 Hercules KC-130HRoyal Saudi Air Force | Tanker | 7 | United States | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | |||
| Lockheed KC-130 Hercules KC-130JRoyal Saudi Air Force | Tanker | 2 | United States | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | |||
| Air · Airborne early warning and control | |||||||
| Boeing E-3 SentryRoyal Saudi Air Force | Airborne early warning and control | 6 | United States | 1977 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Saab 2000 2000 AEW&CRoyal Saudi Air Force | Airborne early warning and control | 2 | Sweden | 1994 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Air · Trainer | |||||||
| BAE Systems HawkRoyal Saudi Air Force | Trainer | 81 | United Kingdom | 1976 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Pilatus PC-21Royal Saudi Air Force | Trainer | 55 | Switzerland | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | |||
| PC-9 | Trainer | 50 | Switzerland | 1986 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| Cirrus SR22Royal Saudi Air Force | Trainer | 25 | United States | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | |||
| MFI-17 MushshakRoyal Saudi Air Force | Trainer | 20 | Pakistan | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | |||
| Air · Transport aircraft | |||||||
| Lockheed C-130 Hercules C-130HRoyal Saudi Air Force | Transport aircraft | 33 | United States | 1956 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Beechcraft 200 Super King Air 350Royal Saudi Air Force | Transport aircraft | 17 | United States | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | |||
| Cessna Citation II BravoRoyal Saudi Air Force | Transport aircraft | 4 | United States | 1978 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| C-130J Super Hercules | Transport aircraft | 2 | United States | 1999 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| Gulfstream IVRoyal Saudi Air Force | Transport aircraft | 2 | United States | 1987 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| British Aerospace Jetstream 31 31Royal Saudi Air Force | Transport aircraft | 1 | United Kingdom | 1982 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| C-27J Spartan | Transport aircraft | – | 4 | Italy | 2006 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Database | |
| Air · Transport and utility helicopter | |||||||
| S-70 | Transport and utility helicopter | 163 | United States | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | |||
| Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk UH-60L UH-60MRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Transport and utility helicopter | 100 | United States | 1979 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| Boeing CH-47 Chinook CH-47FRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Transport and utility helicopter | 48 | United States | 1962 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| Airbus Helicopters H145 | Transport and utility helicopter | 23 | Germany | 2002 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| Bell UH-1N IroquoisRoyal Saudi Air Force | Transport and utility helicopter | 22 | United States | 1970 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| S-92 | Transport and utility helicopter | 16 | United States | 2004 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| Bell OH-58 Kiowa OH-58DRoyal Saudi Land Forces | Transport and utility helicopter | 15 | United States | 1967 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | ||
| Eurocopter AS332 Super PumaRoyal Saudi Air Force | Transport and utility helicopter | 15 | France | 1981 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Bell 412Royal Saudi Air Force | Transport and utility helicopter | 14 | United States | 1981 | Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force | ||
| Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk | Transport and utility helicopter | 10 | United States | 1984 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| AS532 Cougar | Transport and utility helicopter | 7 | France | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | |||
| Airbus C295 | Transport and utility helicopter | 2 | Spain | 2001 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| Air · ISR UAV | |||||||
| Chengdu Pterodactyl I Pterodactyl Wing Loong IIRoyal Saudi Land Forces | ISR UAV | 300 | China | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | |||
| Saqr1 Saqr2 Saqr3 Saqr4Royal Saudi Land Forces | ISR UAV | 230 | Saudi Arabia | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | |||
| CASC Rainbow | ISR UAV | 20 | China | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | |||
| Aeryon ScoutRoyal Saudi Land Forces | ISR UAV | 10 | Canada | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army | |||
| Denel Dynamics Seeker Seeker 400Royal Saudi Land Forces | ISR UAV | held | South Africa | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | |||
| EMT Luna X-2000Royal Saudi Land Forces | ISR UAV | held | Germany | 2000 | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | ||
| Selex ES FalcoRoyal Saudi Land Forces | ISR UAV | held | Italy | Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow | |||
| Strategic · Land-attack cruise missile | |||||||
| Storm Shadow | Land-attack cruise missile | held | United Kingdom | 2002 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| Cyber and C4ISR · Long-range radar | |||||||
| COBRA | Long-range radar | 102 | France | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | |||
| Oerlikon GDF series 35 mm twin gun mountRoyal Saudi Air Defence Force | Long-range radar | 92 | Switzerland | 1985 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| AN/TPS-43 | Long-range radar | 28 | United States | 1968 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| AN/FPS-117 | Long-range radar | 17 | United States | 1983 | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | ||
| MSTAR | Long-range radar | held | United Kingdom | SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow | |||
Suppliers
Origin nations by share of active platforms, the domestic bar first. Colours follow the origin highlight: domestic, allied or treaty partner, other foreign.
338
6,529
1,982
1,665
1,314
374
163
100
95
63
25
20
20
7
2
Sources for this nation
- sipri-at
- wikipedia:list-of-equipment-of-the-saudi-arabian-army
- wikipedia:royal-saudi-air-defence-force
- wikipedia:royal-saudi-air-force
- wikipedia:royal-saudi-naval-forces
- wikipedia:saudi-arabian-national-guard
Structure: ref/units/SAU.yaml, every body with the source that acknowledges it. See sources and methodology.