Qatar Armed Forces

The Qatar Armed Forces are the military forces of Qatar. The country maintains a modest military force of approximately 11,800 men, including an army (8,500), navy (1,800) and air force (1,500). Qatar's defense expenditures accounted for approximately 4.2% of gross national product in 1993. Qatar has recently signed defense pacts with the United States and United Kingdom, as well as with France earlier in 1994. Qatar plays an active role in the collective defense efforts of the Gulf Cooperation Council; the other five members are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and Oman. The presence of a large American military base in the country provides the country with a guaranteed source of defense and national security.

History
Qatar took part in the Gulf War of 1991, with a battalion at the Battle of Khafji. It also hosted the 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Doha.

In July 2008, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency announced Qatar’s official request for logistics support, training, and associated equipment and services. The total value of the support arrangements could be as high as $400 million.

In March 2011, Qatar announced to participate with its Air Force in the enforcement of the Libyan no-fly zone.

Army
This is the largest branch of the Qatar Armed Forces. Qatar maintains a modest military force of approximately 11,800 men; the army is made of 8,500 men. The lack of sufficient indigenous manpower to staff the army is a continuing problem, Qatari citizens constitute only 30 percent of the army, in which more than twenty nationalities are represented.

Initially outfitted with British weaponry, Qatar shifted much of its procurement to France during the 1980s in response to French efforts to develop closer relations. The tank battalion is equipped with French-built AMX-30 main battle tanks. Other armored vehicles include French AMX-10P APCs and the French VAB, adopted as the standard wheeled combat vehicle. The artillery unit has a few French 155mm self-propelled howitzers. The principal antitank weapons are French Milan and HOT wire-guided missiles.

Qatar had also illicitly acquired a few Stinger shoulder-fired SAMs, possibly from Afghan rebel groups, at a time when the United States was trying to maintain tight controls on Stingers in the Middle East. When Qatar refused to turn over the missiles, the United States Senate in 1988 imposed a ban on the sale of all weapons to Qatar. The ban was repealed in late 1990 when Qatar satisfactorily accounted for its disposition of the Stingers.

Qatari tank battalion fought in the Gulf war in 1991, their AMX-30's took part in the battle of Khafji. Qatari contingent, composed mostly of Pakistani recruits, acquitted itself well during the war.

Qatar signed a contract with the German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) for the delivery of 24 artillery systems PzH 2000 and 62 LEOPARD 2 main battle tanks. Deliveries will take place from 2015 to 2018.

The US DSCA announces that Qatar wants to join its neighbor the UAE, and field 2 medium-range THAAD batteries of its own.

Their request is worth up to $6.5 billion, and includes up to 12 THAAD Launchers, 150 THAAD missiles, 2 THAAD Fire Control and Communications units, 2 AN/TPY-2 THAAD Radars, and 1 Early Warning Radar (EWR). The USA would also sell them the required trucks, generators, electrical power units, trailers, communications equipment, fire unit test & maintenance equipment, system integration and checkout, repair and return, training, and other support.

Major Army units

 * 1x Armored Brigade (1x armd battalion,1x mech battalion,1x arty battalion)
 * 4x Mechanized Battalions
 * 1x Royal Guard Brigade (3x Inf.battalions)
 * 1x Special Forces Battalion
 * 2x Artillery Battalions

Tanks and vehicles

 * 62x Leopard 2A7+ on order (option for up to 118 in total)
 * 30-44x AMX-30 MBT - to be replaced by Leopard 2
 * 1x AMX-30D Recovery tank
 * 36x MOWAG Piranha MK-II 8x8 CCTS-90mm turret
 * 4x MOWAG Piranha ARVs-recovery
 * 40x AMX-10P IFV
 * 158x Renault VAB 6x6 APC
 * 4x Renault VAB\VPM-81 4x4 APC with 81mm mortar
 * 24x Renault VAB 4x4\6x6 VCAC-HOT APC with MBDA HOT anti tank missile launcher
 * 27x Renault Sherpa 2 Light tactical vehicle
 * 12x Giat AMX-10RC 105mm 6x6 ARV
 * 30x Giat AMX-VCI IFV
 * 8x Cadilac LAV V150 Commando 4x4 APC
 * 6x AM General Humvee M1115A2 4x4
 * 16x VBL 4x4 APC
 * 32x Engesa EE-9 Cascavel 90mm 6x6 ARV
 * 10x Daimler FV-701 Ferret 4x4 ARV -Status unknown
 * 30x Alvis FV-603 Saracen 6x6 APC -Status unknown
 * 5x Shepra APC
 * Landrover
 * Mercedes Benz Unimog U-4000\U-5000 trucks
 * Iveco Stralis trucks
 * 20x Thyssen Henschel UR-416 4x4 APC
 * C4I System

Artillery and anti tank missiles

 * 24x PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer on order
 * 12x G5 howitzer 155mm towed howitzer - to be replaced by PzH 2000
 * 30x L16 81mm Mortar
 * 15x Brandt 120mm heavy mortar
 * 18x Astros II MLRS SS-40\30 180mm\127mm MRLs with SS-30\40\60\80 Rockets & 3x Astros AV UCF fire control radars
 * 3x BM-21 Grad 122mm MRLs
 * 40x Carl Gustav M2-550 84mm RCLs
 * 48x MBDA HOT anti tank missile launchers with 1,000 missiles
 * 100x MBDA MILAN anti tank missile launchers with 630 missiles
 * Bofors AT4CS light ATRL
 * Swingfire anti tank missile

Surface to air missiles

 * 9x Roland missile MK-II SP-SAM launchers with 200 missiles
 * 7x MIM23B Adv. Hawk SAM launchers
 * 18x Rapier SAM launcher with 250 missiles & 6x Blindfire Radars
 * 6x Blowpipe missile MANPADs launchers with 50 missiles
 * 24x MBDA Mistral MANPADs launchers with 500 missiles
 * 12x FIM92C Stinger MANPADs launchers with 60 missiles
 * SA-7B Grail MANPADs

Small arms

 * Heckler & Koch HK4
 * SIG Sauer P226
 * S&W Model 10
 * Heckler & Koch MP5A3
 * Sterling MK-IV\L2A3
 * 3,000x M16A-1
 * 3,000x Colt CAR-15A1
 * 100x Colt M4 carbine
 * AK-47
 * Heckler & Koch HK21
 * 200x M203 grenade launcher, M203-PI
 * Barrett M82A-1
 * AKM
 * M2 Browning machine gun
 * Valmet M76
 * Valmet M62
 * Heckler & Koch G3A3
 * FN FAL 50-00
 * FN MAG 60-00\T-14
 * FN Minimi
 * Mosberg Model-700

Qatar Emiri Air Force
The Qatar Emiri Air Force was formed in 1974, three years after achieving independence from Great Britain in 1971. Initially equipped with ex-RAF Hawker Hunters, the air force soon began expansion with six Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets in 1979. Fourteen Dassault Mirage F1 were delivered between 1980-84. After the Gulf War, Qatar's air force infrastructure was upgraded by France for $200 million, leading to the order of nine single seat Mirage 2000-5DEA multi-role combat aircraft and three two seat Mirage 2000-5DDA combat trainers in August 1994. Deliveries started in December 1997, and involved the buy back of the remaining 11 Mirage F1s by France that were later sold on to Spain., The current commander of the Qatar Emiri Air Force is Brigadier General Mubarak Mohammed Al Kumait Al Khayarin.

British pilots in Oman remain on duty with the air force, and French specialists are employed in a maintenance capacity. Nevertheless, an increasing number of young Qataris have been trained as pilots and technicians.

Its units include:
 * No. 1 Fighter Wing
 * No. 7 Air Superiority Squadron – Dassault Mirage 2000
 * 9 single-seat Mirage 2000-5EDA
 * 3 2000-5DDA trainers
 * No. 11 Close Support Squadron – Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
 * No. 2 Rotary Wing
 * No. 6 Close Support Squadron – Eurocopter SA342
 * No. 8 Anti-Surface Vessel Squadron – Westland Sea King Commando Mk 3
 * No. 9 Multi-Role Squadron – Westland Sea King Commando Mk 2
 * Qatar Amiri Flight – C-17 Globemaster III

As of January 1993, all the air force's aircraft were based at Doha International Airport.

Air Force equipment


These aircraft numbers are sourced from Scramble.nl, an organisation of Dutch aviation enthusiasts.

Historical Aircraft

 * 15 Dassault Mirage F1 DDA (3)\Mirage F-1EDA (12) 🇫🇷-sold to Spain.
 * 4 Hawker Hunter FGA-78 (3) \T-79 (1)
 * 2 BAC EEC Canberra B.2 -Loan from RAF
 * 1 Vickers VC-10
 * 2 Westland Whirlwind WS-55 Srs-3

Missiles

 * 144x MBDA Mica-RF 🇫🇷
 * 272x MBDA Magic-II R.55O 🇫🇷
 * Matra\MBDA R.530 🇫🇷
 * 128x MBDA AS-30L 🇫🇷
 * 5x MBDA AM-39 Exocet 🇫🇷
 * 225x Euromissile HOT ATGM (for SA-342 Attack Helicopters) 🇫🇷\🇩🇪
 * 50x Apache Black Pearl ASM (for Mirage 2000-5) 🇫🇷

Other equipment:-

 * 6x TRS-2100 Tiger radars 🇫🇷
 * TTL BTT-3 Banashee target drone

Future aircraft

 * In July 2008, Qatar’s Emiri Air Force signed a EUR 260 million (currently about $400 million) contract with AgustaWestland for 18 AW139 medium twin helicopters (formerly the AB139, until the Bell partnership dissolved in 2005). The helicopters will be used for utility tasks, troop transport, search and rescue, border patrol, special forces operations, law enforcement and homeland security. Three additional aircraft were ordered in March 2011 for Medivac services.
 * As of January 2011, the Air Force is evaluating the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the Boeing F-15E and the Dassault Rafale to replace its current fighter inventory of Dassault Mirage 2000-5s. The total order will be between 24–36 aircraft with a procurement decision to be made by the end of 2012.

Switzerland — Pilatus Aircraft Ltd.The QEAF Air Academy will receive their first aircraft in the middle of 2014.
 * Qatar Emiri Air Force Orders 24 PC-21 Training Aircraft.


 * 24 AH-64D Apache Longbow

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress April 16 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Kuwait for 1 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $371 million.

Navy
Qatar has a small 1,800-man navy, including its marine police force and coastal defence artillery. Since 1990, the Qatari Navy has increased its manpower.

The navy headquarters is at Doha there is also a base at Halul island. The commander of the Navy is Commodore Mohammed Nasser al-Mohanadi.

Boats

 * 4 Vosper patrol boats – 120 tons full load
 * 4 Vosper Thornycroft Vita-class Fast Attack Craft – 480 tons full load – 8 x MM40 Exocet missiles (+8 Mistral SAMs), 1 x Goalkeeper gun, 1 x 76mm gun.
 * 3 Combattante III Fast Attack Craft – 430 tons full load – 8 x MM40 Exocet missiles, 1 x 76mm gun, 2 x 40mm guns, 4 x 30mm guns 🇫🇷
 * 6 Vosper 110 ft. class PCs
 * 6 Damen Polycat 1,450 class PCs
 * 2 Keith Nelson type 44 ft.class PCs
 * 2 Fairey Marine Interceptor class PCs
 * 4 MV-45 class PCs
 * 25 Fairy Marine Spear class
 * 5 P-1500 class PCs
 * 4 DV-15 class PCs
 * 3 Helmatic M-160 class PCs
 * 1 Robha class LCT (3x MBTs\100 men)

Auxiliary

 * 2 Halmatic (Vosper Thornycroft) Pilot craft
 * 4 Rotrork craft

Special Maritime Forces

 * 11 fast interceptor boats 🇶🇦 Qatar

Missiles and Equipment

 * MBDA Exocet MM40 Block-III (x70)\ MM-40 (x220)\ MM-38 SSMs 🇫🇷
 * MBDA Mistral SAMs 🇫🇷
 * 4x Goalkeeper anti missile\aircraft gun \🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * 4x Stingeo ship sensor 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * 4x Exocet coast defense batteries 🇫🇷
 * 4x 76\72 Compact-weapon system 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 4x MMR-3D Radar 🇫🇷

Future Acquisitions
The patrol boat program calls for the delivery of six patrol boats with the first unit beginning construction in 2012 and being delivered by 2014. Although the proposals for the corvette program are due in the near-term as well, AMI believes that the four corvettes may not begin construction for several more years as Damen/Nakilat may want to gain some experience with the smaller 62-meter patrol boat hulls prior to moving on the larger Sigma hulls. If the QENF wishes to move the corvette program forward to an earlier date, it could start some of the hull blocks at Nakilat and/or at Damen in the Netherlands much earlier.