Royal Saudi Air Force

Royal Saudi Air Force
القوات الجوية الملكية السعودية
Badge of the Royal Saudi Air Force
FoundedJune 1920; 104 years ago (1920-06) [1]
Country Saudi Arabia
TypeAir force
RoleAerial warfare
Size20,000
456 combat aircraft 1,106 total aircraft
Part ofSaudi Arabian Armed Forces
Motto(s)الله أكبر; allah 'akbar (God is the greatest)
Engagements
WebsiteOfficial website
Commanders
Commander of the Air ForceLieutenant General Turki bin Bandar Al Saud
Insignia
Roundel
Low Visibility roundel
Aircraft flown
Electronic
warfare
E-3 Sentry, Saab 2000 AEW&C
FighterPanavia Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-15E
HelicopterBell 412, AS532, Sikorsky UH-60
ReconnaissancePanavia Tornado, King Air 350
TrainerPilatus PC-21A, PAC MFI-395, Cirrus SR22, BAE Hawk
TransportC-130H, C-130J, Airbus A330 MRTT

The Royal Saudi Air Force (Arabic: ‎الْقُوَّاتُ الْجَوِّيَّةُ الْمَلَكِيَّةْ ٱلسُّعُوْدِيَّة, romanizedAl-Quwwat Al-Jawiyah Al-Malakiyah as-Su’udiyah) (RSAF) is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces.

The Royal Saudi Air Force currently has wings, squadrons, and a special forces unit dedicated to combat search and rescue.

The RSAF has developed from a largely defensive military force into one with an advanced offensive capability, and maintains the second largest fleet of F-15s after the U.S.

The backbone of the RSAF is currently the 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 48 Eurofighter Typhoons delivered by BAE.

  1. ^ David Fromkin (2010). A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-8050-8809-0.
  2. ^ "Saudis launches offensive against Yemen rebels". Associated Press. 5 November 2009. Archived from the original on 6 November 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2017.