Saudi Arabian Army

The Saudi Arabian Army (الجيش العربي السعودي), also called Royal Saudi Land Force (القوات البرية الملكية السعودية), is a branch of the Saudi Armed Forces. The total number of active troops is estimated to be 150,000 The Chief of the Saudi General Staff until 2011 was Field Marshal Saleh Al-Muhaya.

History
1923 is considered to be the birth year of the Saudi Army, as the modern Saudi Arabia have been Unified and founded as a single state. After the discovery of oil and the meeting between King Abdulaziz and the American President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 14, 1945, the Americans became the new major ally of Saudi Arabia.

Other events that led to an expansion of the Saudi Army were the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948, the fall of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and the subsequent fears of possible Shia's actions and in the last years the first Gulf War in 1990. In the year 2000, Saudi Arabia's government spent billions of dollars to expand the Saudi Forces including the Saudi Army.

Wars involving Saudi Army:
 * The Unification of Saudi Arabia (1902–1933).
 * 1948 Arab-Israeli War more than 3,000 Saudi Troops participated in combat against Israel.
 * 1967 RSLF deployed over 20,000 troops in Jordan.
 * 1969 Al-Wadiah War. South Yemeni Forces invaded Al-Wadiah, a Saudi Town, but later were defeated by the Saudi Army.
 * 1973 during the Yom Kippur War Saudi Arabia, along with other Gulf nations, protested American intervention by raising oil prices and sent over 3,000 Saudi soldiers from the troops stationed in Jordan to fight on the Syrian frontline.
 * Gulf War (1990–1991) Together with the allied forces, Saudi Armed Forces and SANG took a major part in the Battle of Khafji and the Liberation of Kuwait.
 * 2007-2010 Houthi Insurgency. Yemeni Houthis invaded southern Saudi Arabia, taking several mountains but were defeated later by the Saudi army.



Structure
The combat strength of the Saudi Army consists of 3 armoured brigades, 5 mechanized infantry brigades, three light motorized rifle brigades, and one airborne brigade. It also has five independent artillery battalions and an aviation command. The Saudi Army deployed the 12th Armoured Brigade and 6th Mechanized Brigade at King Faisal Military City in the Tabuk area. It deployed the 4th Armoured Brigade, and 11th Mechanized Brigade at King Abdul Aziz Military City in the Khamis Mushayt area. It deployed the 20th Mechanized Brigade and 8th Mechanized Brigade at King Khalid Military City near Hafr al Batin. The 10th Mechanized Brigade is deployed at Sharawrah, which is near the border with Yemen and about 150 kilometers from Zamak.

Despite the addition of a number of units and increased mobility achieved during the 1970s and 1980s, the army's personnel complement has expanded only moderately since a major buildup was launched in the late 1960s. The army has been chronically understrength, in the case of some units by an estimated 30 to 50 percent. These shortages have been aggravated by a relaxed policy that permitted considerable absenteeism and by a serious problem of retaining experienced technicians and noncommissioned officers (NCOs). The continued existence of a separate national guard also limited the pool of potential army recruits.

Armor
 * 4th (King Fah’d) Armoured Brigade
 * 8th Armoured Brigade
 * 12th Armoured Brigade

A typical Saudi armoured brigade has an armoured reconnaissance company, three tank battalions with 42 tanks each, a mechanized infantry battalion with 54 AIFVs/APCs, and an artillery battalion with 18 self-propelled guns. It also has an army aviation company, an engineer company, a logistic battalion, a field workshop, and a medical company.

Mechanized
 * 6th Mechanized Brigade
 * 8th Mechanized Brigade
 * 10th Mechanized Brigade
 * 11th Mechanized Brigade
 * 20th Mechanized Brigade

The five mechanized brigades consists of one tank battalion, three mechanized infantry battalions, an artillery battalion, and a support battalion.

A typical Saudi mechanized brigade has an armoured reconnaissance company, one tank battalion with 42 tanks, three mechanized infantry battalions with 54 AIFVs/APCs each, and an artillery battalion with 18 self-propelled guns. It also has an army aviation company, an engineer company, a logistic battalion, a field workshop, and a medical company. It has 24 anti-tank guided weapons launchers and four mortar sections with a total of eight 81 mm mortars.

Infantry Each infantry brigade consists of three motorized battalions, an artillery battalion, and a support battalion. Army brigades should not be confused with Saudi Arabian National Guard brigades. Light motorized infantry brigades include the 17th, 18th, and 19th.
 * 17th Light motorized infantry brigade
 * 18th Light motorized infantry brigade
 * 19th Light motorized infantry brigade

Airborne The Airborne Brigade is normally deployed near Tabuk. The Airborne Brigade has two parachute battalions and three Special Forces companies. Saudi Arabia is expanding its Special Forces and improving their equipment and training to help deal with the threat of terrorism. The Special Forces have been turned into independent fighting units to help deal with terrorists, and report directly to Prince Sultan.
 * The Airborne Brigade
 * 4th Airborne Battalion
 * 5th Airborne Battalion

Artillery Battalions
 * five artillery battalions
 * 14th FA (Towed, 155) Battalion
 * 15th FA (MLRS) Battalion
 * 18th Missile (MLRS) Battalion

The separate Royal Guard Regiment consists of three light infantry battalions.

Ranks
Officers (up) Enlisted (down)

Army aviation

 * (Anti-Air systems belong to Air Defense Force)