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Royal Bahrain Naval Force
سلاح البحرية الملكية البحرينية
Coat of arms of Bahrain
Active 1979 - Present
Country Flag of Bahrain Bahrain
Branch Naval Force
Size 1770 (Navy and Coastguard)
Part of Ministry of Defense
Bahrain Defense Force
Nickname(s) RBNF
Engagements Invasion of Kuwait
Gulf War
Commanders
Commander of the Navy Mohammed Yousif Alasam
Insignia
Naval Ensign Flag of Bahrain
Naval Flag Flag of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force

The Royal Bahrain Naval Force (RBNF) (previously known as Bahrain Defense Force, Naval Branch) is the maritime branch of the Bahrain Defense Force. The current Commander of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force is Commodore Mohammed Yousif Alasam. The navy consists of 7 combat vessels, 31 patrol craft, 10 landing ships and over 700 personnel. The Fleet is based at Mina Sulman Naval Base and has a flight wing which can operate off the corvettes, consisting of two MBB BO-105 helicopters. The flagship of the RBNF is the vessel RBNS Sabha, an American-built missile frigate given to the state as a gift in 1996.

Fleet[]

Type/Class Quantity Origin In service Details
Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate (RBNS Sabha) 1 United States 1981 - Present 4 Harpoon SSMs, 1 MBB BO-105 shipboard helicopter, and SM-1MR SAMs.[1]
Al-Manama class Lürssen FPB 62 Guided-Missile Patrol Combatants 2 Flag of Germany Germany 1988 - Present 4 MM40 Exocets.[1][2] Being upgraded with new weapon control system[3]
Ahmed Al Fateh class Lürssen TNC 45 Guided-Missile Patrol Craft 4 Flag of Germany Germany 1984 - Present 4 MM40 Exocets[1] Being upgraded with new weapon control system[3]
Al Riffa class Lürssen FPB 38 Patrol Craft 2 Flag of Germany Germany 1982 - Present [1]
Al Jarim Swiftships 65 Patrol Boat 2 United States 1982 - Present [1]
Mark V Special Operations Craft 2 United States ? 5 more on order[4]
BMT Group 18m patrol boat 6 Flag of the United Kingdom UK 2013 - Present Built in Turkey, option for 6 more[5]
Wasp-11 2      
Wasp-20 2      
Wasp-30 1      
VT Group VT-Halmatic 20 4 Flag of Qatar Qatar    
VT Group VT-Halmatic 160 6 Flag of Qatar Qatar    
Fairey Marine Swordsman 4 Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom    
steel landing craft 4 Flag of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 2009+ 2 42-meter and 2 16-meter
LCU-1466 4 United States    
Fairey Marine LCU 1 Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom    
Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company Landing craft 1 Flag of Bahrain Bahrain 2016 34.5m in overall length,[6] 1 more could be ordered

Missiles & Torpedoes[]

67 MM-40 delivered between 1984–2010. 8 Harpoon (missile) delivered 1997–8. 22 RIM-66 Standard RIM-66B Standard-1MR delivered 1997. 18 Mark 46 torpedo Mk-46 Mod-5 NEARTIP delivered 1997.

Aircraft[]

The naval force operates a single Bo 105CBS-4 helicopter.[7]

Future[]

Sep. 8, 2017 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Bahrain for two 35 Meter Fast Patrol Boats. The estimated cost is $60.25 million.[8]

Bahrain may purchase another frigate from the US, USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG-49) could be purchased in 2019 so that Bahrain has two frigates.[9]

Bahrain has ordered 6 Vigor RB-M Fast Interceptor boats.[10]

Bases[]

RBNS Sabha (FFG 90) Bahrain

RBNS Sabha in April 2008.

  • Mina Salman Naval Base is a facility currently shared with the United States Navy and is used as a ship and submarine logistic support base for the entire US Fifth Fleet. It was opened in the 1980s as cargo facility and is now solely used as a naval port.
  • Manama Naval Base is another key US Navy installation and formerly home to HMS Juffair. It is not used by RBNF.
  • RBNF also operates a shipyard that is shared with several other neighbouring countries.

Commanders[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wertheim, Eric (2007). The Naval Institute guide to combat fleets of the world : their ships, aircraft, and systems (15th ed.). Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press. pp. 37–38. ISBN 9781591149552. 
  2. The Naval Balance of Power: The Persian Gulf Archived 2012-10-30 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. 3.0 3.1 http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2018/january-2018-navy-naval-defense-news/5885-leonardo-delivers-first-upgraded-al-manama-ship-to-royal-bahrain-naval-force.html
  4. "Archived copy". http://www.janes.com/article/69644/bahrain-to-receive-five-more-mk-v-patrol-boats. 
  5. "BMT Partners with Ares Shipyard to Deliver Patrol Boats for Bahrain Coast Guard". http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/newsb/naval-exhibitions/2013-archive-naval-exhibitons/dsei-2013/1232-bmt-partners-with-ares-shipyard-to-deliver-patrol-boats-for-bahrain-coast-guard.html. Retrieved 5 August 2018. 
  6. "ASRY construct new landing craft". http://www.newsofbahrain.com/viewNews.php?ppId=21619&pid=21,41&MNU=. Retrieved 5 August 2018. 
  7. "Bahrain : Armed Forces Overviews". http://www.scramble.nl/orbats/bahrain/summary. Retrieved 4 January 2017. 
  8. "Bahrain – 35 Meter Fast Patrol Boats - The Official Home of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency". http://www.dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/bahrain-35-meter-fast-patrol-boats. Retrieved 5 August 2018. 
  9. "CBO: Navy frigate sale to Bahrain has $80M price tag". 13 July 2018. https://insidedefense.com/insider/cbo-navy-frigate-sale-bahrain-has-80m-price-tag. Retrieved 5 August 2018. 
  10. http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/naval-exhibitions/2019-naval-exhibitions/navdex-official-news-online-show-daily/6833-navdex-2019-vigor-showcases-its-vigor-fast-interceptor.html

External links[]

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Royal Bahrain Naval Force and the edit history here.
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