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Saudi Air Force

Royal Saudi Arabia Air Forces

Royal Saudi Air Force embelm.svg
"Seal of the Royal Air Force»
Founded 4 July 1916; (as Hejaz Air Force)
Country Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia
Allegiance Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
Branch Ministry of Defense (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia).png Saudi Military Forces (as of 1925)
Type Air force
Role Military aviation
Size 63,000 full-time personnel
18,000 reservists personnel
81,000 total personnel (2015 est.)
1,106 aircraft (2016 est.)
Part of
  • MODA (as of 1950)
    JSP (as of 1926)
Anniversaries 1 November; (66 years ago)
Headquarters Airport Rd, Al Wazarat, Riyadh
Disbanded Navy Medal 2st Class SA.png
Website www.rsaf.gov.sa
Commanders
Minister of Defense
Prince Mohammad Al Saud
Chief of Joint Staff
General Abdul Rahman Al Banyan
Commander of Royal Air Forces
Maj. General Muhammad Al Otaybi
Insignia
Roundel of Saudi Arabia.svg
Roundel of Saudi Arabia - Low Visibility.svg




Ensign




Flag
Flag of the Royal Saudi Air Force.png
Aircraft flown
Attack Eurofighter Typhoon
Panavia Tornado IDS
Bomber Boeing F-15S
Panavia Tornado IDS
Electronic
warfare
Boeing RE-3A
Boeing E-3A
Fighter Eurofighter Typhoon
Boeing F-15C/S
Interceptor Eurofighter Typhoon
Boeing F-15C/S
Reconnaissance Northrop RF-5E
Panavia Tornado IDS
Trainer Pilatus PC-9A
BAE Hawk
Transport Lockheed C-130

The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF; Arabic: القوات الجوية الملكية الـسعودية‎‎, al-quwat al-jawwiyyah al-malakiyyah as-sudiyyah), is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabian armed forces. The RSAF has developed from a largely defensive military force into one with an advanced offensive capability. The RSAF maintains the third largest fleet of F-15s after the American and Japanese air forces.

The backbone of the RSAF is currently the Boeing F-15 Eagle, with the Panavia Tornado also forming a major component. The Tornado and many other aircraft were delivered under the Al Yamamah contracts with British Aerospace (now BAE Systems). The RSAF ordered various weapons in the 1990s, including Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles, laser-guided bombs and gravity bombs. Al-Salam, a successor to the Al Yamamah agreement will see 72 Eurofighter Typhoons delivered by BAE.

The RSAF was formed in the mid-1920s with British assistance. It was re-organized in 1950 and began to receive American assistance from 1952 including the use of Dhahran Airfield by the United States Air Force.

The Saudi forces are equipped with mainly western hardware. Main suppliers are companies in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Both the UK and the US are involved in training programs conducted in Saudi Arabia.


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Wikipedia

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