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, navy and air force. Qatar's defence
expenditures accounted for approximately 4.2% of gross national product in 1993. Qatar has
recently signed defence pacts with the United States in 2002 and 2013 and with the United
Kingdom, as well as with France earlier in 1994. Qatar plays an active role in the collective
defence 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 defence 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 the participation
of 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 The ban was repealed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 defence
company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann for the delivery of 24 artillery systems PzH 2000 and 62 LEOPARD
2 main battle tanks. 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. 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
4x Mechanized Battalions 1x Royal Guard Brigade
1x Special Forces Battalion 2x Artillery Battalions
Tanks and vehicles 62x Leopard 2A7+ on order
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 Trucks VAB 6x6 APC 4x Renault Trucks VAB\VPM-81 4x4 APC with
81mm mortar 24x Renault Trucks VAB 4x4\6x6 VCAC-HOT APC
with MBDA HOT anti tank missile launcher 32 Fennek light armored reconnaissance vehicles,
on order 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
50x FGM-148 Javelin CLUs with 500 anti tank missile on order
Surface to air missiles 9x Roland missile MK-II SP-SAM launchers with
200 missiles 7x MIM23B Adv. Hawk SAM launchers
MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3 SAM launchers, on order $7 billion+
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
Historical Aircraft 15 Dassault Mirage F1 DDA\Mirage F-1EDA France-sold
to Spain. 4 Hawker Hunter FGA-78 \T-79 United Kingdom
2 BAC EEC Canberra B.2 United Kingdom-Loan from RAF
1 Vickers VC-10 United Kingdom 2 Westland Whirlwind WS-55 Srs-3 United
Kingdom Missiles
144x MBDA Mica-RF France 272x MBDA Magic-II R.55O France
Matra\MBDA R.530 France 128x MBDA AS-30L France
5x MBDA AM-39 Exocet France 225x Euromissile HOT ATGM France\ Germany
50x Apache Black Pearl ASM France Other equipment:-
6x TRS-2100 Tiger radars France TTL BTT-3 Banashee target drone United Kingdom
Future aircraft In July 2008, Qatar’s Emiri Air Force signed
a EUR 260 million contract with AgustaWestland for 18 AW139 medium twin helicopters. 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 FF 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. 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 United Kingdom
4 Vosper Thornycroft Vita-class Fast Attack Craft – 480 tons full load – 8 x MM40
Exocet missiles, 1 x Goalkeeper gun, 1 x 76mm gun. United Kingdom
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 France
6 Vosper 110 ft. class PCs United Kingdom 6 Damen Polycat 1,450 class PCs
2 Keith Nelson type 44 ft.class PCs 2 Fairey Marine Interceptor class PCs United
Kingdom 4 MV-45 class PCs
25 Fairy Marine Spear class United Kingdom 5 P-1500 class PCs
4 DV-15 class PCs 3 Helmatic M-160 class PCs
1 Robha class LCT Auxiliary
2 Halmatic Pilot craft 4 Rotrork craft
Special Maritime Forces 11 fast interceptor boats Qatar
Missiles and Equipment MBDA Exocet MM40 Block-III\ MM-40\ MM-38 SSMs
France MBDA Mistral SAMs France
4x Goalkeeper anti missile\aircraft gun Netherlands 4x Stingeo ship sensor Netherlands
4x Exocet coast defense batteries France 4x 76\72 Compact-weapon system Italy
4x MMR-3D Radar France 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.
The Qatar Coast Guard Services placed an order for 17 new fast patrol boast from Turkish
company ARES Shipyard. The deal of 17 vessels consists in 10x "ARES 110 Hercules" multi-role
patrol
craft 117 tons, 5x "ARES 75 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft 58 tons and 2x "ARES 150 Hercules"
multi-role patrol craft 245 tons. These Fast Patrol Boats will be constructed using advanced
composite materials and are expected to be completed within the next 5 years.
March 31, 2014. Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar and Qatar Armed Forces have signed two MoUs
for the construction of seven vessels at Qatar’s premier shipyard. The MoUs signed by NDSQ
and Qatar Armed Forces concern six 50m-long axe-bow high-speed patrol vessels and one
52m-long diving support vessel for the Qatar Armed Forces. All vessels are highly sophisticated
state-of-the-art naval ships built based on proven designs providing unparalleled seaworthiness.
The diving support vessel includes decompression capabilities. A large Integrated Logistic
Support package is also mentioned in the MoUs. References
See also