Nation

Saudi Arabia

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.

  • Land
  • Sea
  • Air
  • Space
  • Cyber
  • Strategic
  • Intelligence
  • Internal security
  • Joint
  • Headcount not published

SVG · PNG

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.

119 of 119 platforms
ReserveOn orderFigure from
Land · Main battle tank
M1 Abrams M1A2SRoyal Saudi Land ForcesMain battle tank575United States1980Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
M60A3Royal Saudi Land ForcesMain battle tank370United States1961Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
AMX-30SARoyal Saudi Air Defence Force, Royal Saudi Land ForcesMain battle tank140France1966Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
AMX-30Royal Saudi Land ForcesMain battle tank55France1966Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
LeclercRoyal Saudi Land ForcesMain battle tankheldFrance1993Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
Land · Infantry fighting vehicle
PiranhaSaudi Arabian National GuardInfantry fighting vehicle1,117SwitzerlandWikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard
Commando V-150SSaudi Arabian National GuardInfantry fighting vehicle579United States1963Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guardlow
AMX-10PRoyal Saudi Land ForcesInfantry fighting vehicle470FranceWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
M2 Bradley M2A2Royal Saudi Land ForcesInfantry fighting vehicle380United States1981Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
Al-FahdRoyal Saudi Land Forces, Saudi Arabian National GuardInfantry fighting vehicle100Saudi ArabiaWikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard
LAV IIISaudi Arabian National GuardInfantry fighting vehicle19CanadaWikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard
Land · Armoured personnel carrier
Oshkosh M-ATVRoyal Saudi Land ForcesArmoured personnel carrier1,800United StatesWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
M113A1 M113A3Royal Saudi Land ForcesArmoured personnel carrier1,190United States1960Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
Renault Sherpa 2 ScoutRoyal Saudi Land ForcesArmoured personnel carrier100France2006Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé VAB Mk3Royal Saudi Land ForcesArmoured personnel carrier100France1976Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
MambaArmoured personnel carrier25South AfricaSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
EE-11 UrutuSaudi Arabian National GuardArmoured personnel carrier20BrazilWikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard
Otokar Cobra IIRoyal Saudi Land ForcesArmoured personnel carrierheldTürkiye2013Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
Shibl 2Royal Saudi Land ForcesArmoured personnel carrierheldSaudi ArabiaWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
Land · Reconnaissance and light armour
LAV-25Reconnaissance and light armour748Canada1983SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
LAV II ten different varietiesSaudi Arabian National GuardReconnaissance and light armour724CanadaWikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard
AML-60 AML-90Royal Saudi Land ForcesReconnaissance and light armour300FranceWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
GURKHARoyal Saudi Land ForcesReconnaissance and light armour159CanadaSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Didgori-2Royal Saudi Land ForcesReconnaissance and light armour100GeorgiaWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
LAV-25 Multiple variantsSaudi Arabian National GuardReconnaissance and light armourheldCanada1983Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guardlow
Land · Self-propelled artillery
PLZ-45Royal Saudi Land ForcesSelf-propelled artillery54China2000SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
AMX-30 AuF1Royal Saudi Land ForcesSelf-propelled artilleryheldFrance1977Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
M109Royal Saudi Land ForcesSelf-propelled artilleryheldUnited StatesWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
Land · Towed artillery
MO-120-RTTowed artillery251FranceSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
M198Royal Saudi Land ForcesTowed artillery159United States1979SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
CAESAR self-propelled howitzerRoyal Saudi Land Forces, Saudi Arabian National GuardTowed artillery156France2008Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard
GIAT LG1Royal Saudi Land ForcesTowed artillery91FranceSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
TRF1Towed artillery28France1979SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Gun Howitzer NoricumTowed artillery5CanadaSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Astros IIRoyal Saudi Land ForcesTowed artilleryheldBrazilWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
Bofors 40 mm L/70Royal Saudi Air Defence ForceTowed artilleryheldSwedenWikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Defence Forcelow
BrimstoneTowed artilleryheldUnited Kingdom2005SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
CrotaleRoyal Saudi Air Defence ForceTowed artilleryheldFrance1971SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
M777Royal Saudi Land ForcesTowed artilleryheldUnited Kingdom2005Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
ShahineRoyal Saudi Air Defence ForceTowed artilleryheldFrance1971Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Defence Forcelow
Land · Rocket artillery and MLRS
BM-21 GradRocket artillery and MLRSheldSoviet Union1963SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
K239 ChunmooRoyal Saudi Land ForcesRocket artillery and MLRSheldSouth Korea2015SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket SystemRoyal Saudi Land ForcesRocket artillery and MLRSheldUnited States1983Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
TOS-1Royal Saudi Land ForcesRocket artillery and MLRSheldSoviet Union1988SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Land · Mortars (120 mm+)
K6Mortars (120 mm+)63Israel1991SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Land · Anti-tank missile system
9M133 KornetRoyal Saudi Land ForcesAnti-tank missile systemheldRussia1994Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
APILASRoyal Saudi Land ForcesAnti-tank missile systemheldFranceWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
BILL anti-tank guided weaponRoyal Saudi Land ForcesAnti-tank missile systemheldSweden1985Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
FGM-148 JavelinRoyal Saudi Land ForcesAnti-tank missile systemheldUnited States1996Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
MBT LAWRoyal Saudi Land ForcesAnti-tank missile systemheldSweden2007Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
RPG-7Saudi Arabian National GuardAnti-tank missile systemheldSoviet Union1960Wikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guardlow
Land · Ground-based air defence (short range)
AT-1K RayboltRoyal Saudi Land ForcesGround-based air defence (short range)heldSouth KoreaSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
FIM-43 RedeyeRoyal Saudi Air Defence ForceGround-based air defence (short range)heldUnited States1968Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Defence Forcelow
FIM-92 StingerRoyal Saudi Air Defence ForceGround-based air defence (short range)heldUnited States1981Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Defence Forcelow
Land · Ground-based air defence (medium and long range)
MICAGround-based air defence (medium and long range)heldFrance1996SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
MIM-104 PatriotGround-based air defence (medium and long range)heldUnited States1981SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
MartletGround-based air defence (medium and long range)heldUnited Kingdom2015SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
MistralRoyal Saudi Air Defence ForceGround-based air defence (medium and long range)heldFrance1988SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
PAC-2 PatriotRoyal Saudi Air Defence ForceGround-based air defence (medium and long range)heldUnited States1981Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Defence Forcelow
Land · Engineering and bridging
M88 Recovery Vehicle M88A1Royal Saudi Land ForcesEngineering and bridging122United States1961Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
M578 Light Recovery VehicleRoyal Saudi Land ForcesEngineering and bridging90United StatesWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
M728 combat engineer vehicleRoyal Saudi Land ForcesEngineering and bridging15United States1965Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
Sea · Amphibious assault ship
M3 VTT M3Royal Saudi Land ForcesAmphibious assault ship150FranceWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
Sea · Frigate
Al Madinah-class frigateRoyal Saudi Naval ForcesFrigate4Saudi ArabiaWikipedia: Royal Saudi Naval Forces
La Fayette-class frigateRoyal Saudi Naval ForcesFrigate3France1992Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Naval Forces
Sea · Corvette and OPV
Al Jubail classRoyal Saudi Naval ForcesCorvette and OPV5SpainWikipedia: Royal Saudi Naval Forces
Badr-class corvetteRoyal Saudi Naval ForcesCorvette and OPV4Saudi ArabiaWikipedia: Royal Saudi Naval Forces
Sea · Replenishment and auxiliary
Boraida-class replenishment oilerRoyal Saudi Naval ForcesReplenishment and auxiliary2FranceWikipedia: Royal Saudi Naval Forces
Air · Fighter and multirole
F-15EX Eagle II F-15SARoyal Saudi Air ForceFighter and multirole210United StatesWikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
McDonnell Douglas F-15 EagleRoyal Saudi Air ForceFighter and multirole210United States1976Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle F-15SRRoyal Saudi Air ForceFighter and multirole210United States1988Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Panavia Tornado IDSRoyal Saudi Air ForceFighter and multirole81United Kingdom1980Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Eurofighter TyphoonRoyal Saudi Air ForceFighter and multirole72Germany2003Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II F-35ARoyal Saudi Air ForceFighter and multirole0United States2015Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Air · Attack helicopter
Hughes AH-64 Apache AH-64D AH-64ERoyal Saudi Land ForcesAttack helicopter47United States1984Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
AH-6 Little BirdSaudi Arabian National GuardAttack helicopter34United StatesWikipedia: Saudi Arabian National Guard
Air · Tanker
Airbus A330 MRTT A330-243 MRTTRoyal Saudi Air ForceTanker12France2011Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Boeing 707 KE-3ARoyal Saudi Air ForceTanker7United States1958Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Lockheed KC-130 Hercules KC-130HRoyal Saudi Air ForceTanker7United StatesWikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Lockheed KC-130 Hercules KC-130JRoyal Saudi Air ForceTanker2United StatesWikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Air · Airborne early warning and control
Boeing E-3 SentryRoyal Saudi Air ForceAirborne early warning and control6United States1977Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Saab 2000 2000 AEW&CRoyal Saudi Air ForceAirborne early warning and control2Sweden1994Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Air · Trainer
BAE Systems HawkRoyal Saudi Air ForceTrainer81United Kingdom1976Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Pilatus PC-21Royal Saudi Air ForceTrainer55SwitzerlandWikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
PC-9Trainer50Switzerland1986SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Cirrus SR22Royal Saudi Air ForceTrainer25United StatesWikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
MFI-17 MushshakRoyal Saudi Air ForceTrainer20PakistanWikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Air · Transport aircraft
Lockheed C-130 Hercules C-130HRoyal Saudi Air ForceTransport aircraft33United States1956Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Beechcraft 200 Super King Air 350Royal Saudi Air ForceTransport aircraft17United StatesWikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Cessna Citation II BravoRoyal Saudi Air ForceTransport aircraft4United States1978Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
C-130J Super HerculesTransport aircraft2United States1999SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Gulfstream IVRoyal Saudi Air ForceTransport aircraft2United States1987Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
British Aerospace Jetstream 31 31Royal Saudi Air ForceTransport aircraft1United Kingdom1982Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
C-27J SpartanTransport aircraft–4Italy2006SIPRI Arms Transfers Database
Air · Transport and utility helicopter
S-70Transport and utility helicopter163United StatesSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk UH-60L UH-60MRoyal Saudi Land ForcesTransport and utility helicopter100United States1979Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
Boeing CH-47 Chinook CH-47FRoyal Saudi Land ForcesTransport and utility helicopter48United States1962Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
Airbus Helicopters H145Transport and utility helicopter23Germany2002SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Bell UH-1N IroquoisRoyal Saudi Air ForceTransport and utility helicopter22United States1970Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
S-92Transport and utility helicopter16United States2004SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Bell OH-58 Kiowa OH-58DRoyal Saudi Land ForcesTransport and utility helicopter15United States1967Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
Eurocopter AS332 Super PumaRoyal Saudi Air ForceTransport and utility helicopter15France1981Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Bell 412Royal Saudi Air ForceTransport and utility helicopter14United States1981Wikipedia: Royal Saudi Air Force
Sikorsky SH-60 SeahawkTransport and utility helicopter10United States1984SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
AS532 CougarTransport and utility helicopter7FranceSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Airbus C295Transport and utility helicopter2Spain2001SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Air · ISR UAV
Chengdu Pterodactyl I Pterodactyl Wing Loong IIRoyal Saudi Land ForcesISR UAV300ChinaWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
Saqr1 Saqr2 Saqr3 Saqr4Royal Saudi Land ForcesISR UAV230Saudi ArabiaWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
CASC RainbowISR UAV20ChinaSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Aeryon ScoutRoyal Saudi Land ForcesISR UAV10CanadaWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Army
Denel Dynamics Seeker Seeker 400Royal Saudi Land ForcesISR UAVheldSouth AfricaWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
EMT Luna X-2000Royal Saudi Land ForcesISR UAVheldGermany2000Wikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
Selex ES FalcoRoyal Saudi Land ForcesISR UAVheldItalyWikipedia: List of equipment of the Saudi Arabian Armylow
Strategic · Land-attack cruise missile
Storm ShadowLand-attack cruise missileheldUnited Kingdom2002SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Cyber and C4ISR · Long-range radar
COBRALong-range radar102FranceSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Oerlikon GDF series 35 mm twin gun mountRoyal Saudi Air Defence ForceLong-range radar92Switzerland1985SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
AN/TPS-43Long-range radar28United States1968SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
AN/FPS-117Long-range radar17United States1983SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
MSTARLong-range radarheldUnited KingdomSIPRI 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.

Saudi Arabia

United States

France

Canada

Switzerland

China

United Kingdom

Georgia

Germany

Israel

South Africa

Brazil

Pakistan

Spain

Sweden

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.