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71-504: Under the name of RFTG, this high-readiness Maritime Task Group was established under the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review , and was initially focused on periodic deployments centered around amphibious shipping, initially termed Cougar deployments, but now named according to the focus of the main activity; although not mandated as an annual activity, these deployments tend to alternate between operating in North West Europe and

142-816: A Task Force, consisting of more than one Task Group), the formation will be commanded by Commander United Kingdom Strike Forces (COMUKSTRKFOR) who is responsible for directing "UK, Allied or Coalition maritime forces anywhere in the world". In the RFTG era, Command of the Task Group was usually (but not exclusively) exercised by the Commander of the Amphibious Task Group (COMATG), renamed as Commander UK Task Group (COMUKTG) from 2011 to 2015. Since 2015, periodic deployments have continued this pattern, with all recent iterations being commanded by COMATG (now termed COMLSG ), but since

213-636: A changing international environment, particularly in relation to its ability to retain trained personnel. In 2018, a report by the National Audit Office found that the numbers of trained regulars had fallen from some 180,000 personnel in 2010 to fewer than 140,000 in 2017/18. The numbers in 2017/18 were some 8,200 people below the stated requirement. In 2015, the House of Commons defence committee again concluded that “The UK’s current defence assumptions are not sufficient for [the] changed environment ... Now there

284-1174: A contract worth at least US$ 10 billion to supply the Saudi Arabian army with armored military vehicles. The Royal Saudi Land Forces are composed of three armored brigades, five mechanized brigades, one airborne brigade, one Royal Guard brigade, and eight artillery battalions. The army also has one aviation command with two aviation brigades. The army's main equipment consists of a combination of French- and U.S.-made armored vehicles: 315 M–1A2 Abrams, 290 AMX–30 , and 450 M60A3 main battle tanks; 300 reconnaissance vehicles; 570+ AMX–10P and 400 M–2 Bradley armored infantry fighting vehicles; 3,000+ M113 and 100 Al-Fahd armored personnel carriers, produced in Saudi Arabia; 200+ towed artillery pieces; 110 self-propelled artillery pieces; 60 multiple rocket launchers; 400 mortars; 10 surface-to-surface missiles; about 2,000 antitank guided weapons; about 200 rocket launchers; 450 recoilless launchers; 12 attack helicopters; 50+ transport helicopters; and 1,000 surface-to-air missiles. In 1996 Saudi Arabia had military cities in

355-548: A failed response by Saudi forces to Houthi incursions in 2009 . In the early 2010s, after almost 20 years of relatively modest increases in military spending, the Saudi government embarked an unprecedented expansion of the Kingdom's armed forces. This shift in policy was spear-headed primarily by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , who took over as Defense Minister in 2015. It is believed

426-653: A few passengers to get a brief insight into the American LHD. In the Gulf of Oman , Response Force Task Group conducted anti-submarine drills against USS  Dallas . HMS  Quorn briefly met up with the RFTG for exercise 'Sea Khanjar'. Exercise 'Sea Khanjar' was observed by Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Philip Jones , Commandant General Royal Marines Major General Ed Davis , Lieutenant General Mike Hindmarsh and Commander United Arab Emirates Presidential Guard Marines, Colonel A Al-Tenaji. When Typhoon Haiyan struck

497-558: A four-month deployment scheduled to conduct exercises and engage with foreign navies in the Mediterranean and East of Suez in the (Persian) Gulf and Indian Ocean. Notable international warships that took the opportunity to rendezvous and participate with Cougar 14 were USS  Makin Island , USS  San Diego and the French ships Courbet and Dixmude . The first phase of Cougar 14

568-632: A highly effective first response capability which is optimised for early entry operations." Cougar 12 composition: Cougar 13 deployed during the early autumn of 2013. In the Mediterranean, Response Force Task Group held exercises with the Portuguese Marine Corps and once again conducted exercise 'Albanian Lion' with the Albanian Armed Forces . Anti-surface exercises were also held with the Hellenic Navy and anti-submarine drills with

639-635: A long list of outstanding orders for arms, including 27 more combat aircraft from the United Kingdom, 154 combat aircraft from the U.S. and a large number of armoured vehicles from Canada. The United States sold more than $ 80 billion in military hardware between 1951 and 2006 to the Saudi military. In comparison, the Israel Defense Forces received $ 53.6 billion in U.S. military grants between 1949 and 2007. On 20 October 2010, U.S. State Department notified Congress of its intention to make

710-572: A superb opportunity to rekindle our amphibious capability after a prolonged period when our focus has been on operations elsewhere." Exercise 'Corsican Lion' was the main focus of Cougar 12 and was designed to towards developing the maritime and amphibious components of the Anglo-French Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) . The exercise involved the Response Force Task Group working directly alongside

781-477: Is a requirement to support stability in a dozen different theatres simultaneously, and to engage with both unconventional and conventional threats.” Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia The Saudi Arabian Armed Forces ( SAAF ) ( Arabic : القوات المسلحة السعودية ‎ , romanized :  Al-Quwwat al-Musallahah al-Malakiyah as-Su’ūdiyah ), also known as the Royal Saudi Armed Forces ,

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852-668: Is believed to be the largest arms sale in Canadian history. In 2016, the European Parliament decided to temporarily impose an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, as a result of the Yemen civilian population's suffering from the conflict with Saudi Arabia . In 2017, Saudi Arabia signed a 110 billion dollar arms deal with the United States . Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest arms customer, with more than £4.6 billion worth of arms bought since

923-555: Is equipped with the Chinese DF-3A (CSS-2) Dongfeng missile sold to Saudi Arabia by China. A conventional high-explosive warhead (2150 kg) variant of the DongFeng 3A Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile was developed for an export order to Saudi Arabia in 1987. About 30+ missiles and 9~12 launchers were reportedly delivered in 1988, though no known test launch has ever been made in the country. IISS Military Balance 2022 estimates that

994-523: Is imported from the Western world. The United States sold more than $ 80 billion in military hardware between 1951 and 2006 to the Saudi military. 2013 saw Saudi military spending climb to $ 67bn, overtaking that of the UK, France and Japan to place fourth globally. The United Kingdom has also been a major supplier of military equipment to Saudi Arabia since 1965. Since 1985, the UK has supplied military aircraft—notably

1065-473: Is organized in seven fighter/ground-attack squadrons, six fighter squadrons, and seven training squadrons. Saudi Arabia has at least 15 active military airfields. As of 2011, Saudi Arabia has around 300 combat aircraft. The kingdom's combat aircraft are newly acquired Typhoons and upgraded Tornado IDS , F-15 Eagle and F-15E Strike Eagle fighter planes. Saudi Arabia has a further 80+ F-15 Eagles on order and an option to buy another 72 Typhoons. Air Defense

1136-905: Is part of the military forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia . It consists of the Royal Saudi Army , the Royal Saudi Navy , the Royal Saudi Air Force , the Royal Saudi Air Defense , and the Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force . The King of Saudi Arabia is the commander-in-chief of all the military forces and forms military policy with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior . The five Armed Forces are among eight military forces of Saudi Arabia, with

1207-655: Is usually commanded at sea by an officer the rank of Commodore , who can be either the Commander of the UK Littoral Strike Group (COMLSG, formerly named COMATG) or Commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group (COMCSG), depending on the focus of the deployment; the Command Platform will be either an Albion-class LPD or a Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier . For a major deployment of the JEF(M) (acting as

1278-488: The COMUKMARFOR Rear Admiral Radkin and COMUKTG Commodore Connell deploy on HMS Ocean and HMS Bulwark respectively. Bulwark deployed with almost 100 extra Royal Marines from across 3 Commando Brigade, and over 100 specialist personnel required to command the Task Group and its activities. One of the first exercises during Cougar 15 was Corsica Lion , where Bulwark , Ocean , MV Hartland Point and

1349-545: The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2015 . This security arrangement ended with Queen Elizabeth II visiting Bulwark and the ship returned to its home port on 7 December 2015. Cougar 15 composition: In September 2016, HMS Bulwark (as flagship), HMS Ocean , embarked with helicopters from 845 Naval Air Squadron, No. 662 Squadron AAC and No. 27 Squadron RAF, and elements of 3 Commando Brigade HQ Royal Marines, RFA Mounts Bay and MV Eddystone Point , deployed on

1420-550: The French Navy 's Task Force 473 and the French aircraft carrier  Charles de Gaulle . Head of the RFTG's amphibious operations, Brigadier Martin Smith of 3 Commando Brigade , Royal Marines , was quoted saying: "It is an incredibly versatile force and our burgeoning interoperability with the French further proves this. The quality of Royal Marines Commandos and French Marines delivers

1491-665: The Italian Navy . During mid September 2013, Response Force Task Group deployed East of Suez for the second phase of the Cougar 13 deployment where it linked up with the Royal Saudi Navy for exercise 'Red Alligator'. While East of Suez, a Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey from USS  Kearsarge landed on Illustrious in a joint exercise with the United States Navy . Likewise, Illustrious ' s Army Air Corps Westland Lynx and Westland Sea Kings dropped in on Kearsarge , carrying

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1562-698: The Mediterranean Sea , and deploying East of Suez to the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean . On these deployments, the Task Group regularly conducts exercises with allies and partners. As a Task Group, the RFTG was activated on operations during the 2011 Libyan Civil War , provided humanitarian aid during Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, and elements were activated to deploy to the Caribbean in 2020 under an augmented Atlantic Patrol Task (North) deployment. The JEF(M)

1633-568: The Philippines in November 2013, HMS Illustrious was ordered to detach from the Response Force Task Group and assist in the disaster relief efforts. The mission was known as Operation Patwin, HMS  Daring was already in the Far East when the tragedy struck and was swiftly able to provide humanitarian aid. Cougar 13 composition: The RFTG departed on Cougar 14 during early September 2014 for

1704-570: The Tornado and Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft—and other equipment as part of the long-term Al-Yamamah arms deal estimated to have been worth £43 billion by 2006 and thought to be worth a further £40 billion. In 2012, British defence giant BAE signed a £1.9bn ($ 3bn) deal to supply Hawk trainer jets to Saudi Arabia. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute , in 2010–14 Saudi Arabia became

1775-662: The battles around the Saudi town of Ras al-Khafji . Since the Gulf War , the United States stationed 5,000 troops in Saudi Arabia, a figure that rose to 10,000 during the 2003 conflict in Iraq . Operation Southern Watch enforced the no-fly zones over southern Iraq set up after 1991, as well, the country's oil exports through the shipping lanes of the Persian Gulf are protected by the United States Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain . It

1846-686: The 1940s, when Saudi regulars numbered perhaps 1,000–1,500, Gaub saying that officers mostly came from the Ottoman troops who had served the Sharif of Mecca before he was expelled in 1924. A Ministry of Defense was created in 1943; a military school founded in Taif , and the United Kingdom began efforts to try to build a professional force. After the failure of this UK programme, a subsequent U.S. programme which ran from 1951 also failed to reach its objective (the creation for three to five Regimental Combat Teams ). Growth of

1917-535: The Al-Masmak MRAP which has achieved very high protection, all are Saudi-made Ashibl 1 and Ashibl 2 are Saudi-made armored vehicles used by the Royal Saudi Land Forces and the kingdom's most elite special operations units of Battalion 85. Saudi Arabia has also recently unveiled the new Tuwaiq MRAP. Saudi Arabian Military Industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ROSOBORONEXPORT for

1988-516: The French amphibious assault ship Tonnerre , which deployed her own Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters. HMS  Triumph (a nuclear-powered fleet submarine) fired her Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles at Libyan air defence and command and control centres. Analysts believe that in total more than 15 cruise missiles were fired by the submarine during the operations. Cougar 11 composition: Cougar 12 saw Response Force Task Group deploy six ships and more than 3,000 marines and sailors to

2059-568: The French Navy's Dixmude practised rescuing "civilians" off the northern coast of Corsica . The RFTG also exercised with Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 . As part of Cougar 15 , United States Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys flew off Ocean during Exercise Blue Raptor , transporting Royal Marines from ship to shore. This exercised ended around 24 November 2015. Bulwark temporarily remained in Malta along with HMS  Somerset to provide security for

2130-782: The Islamic prophet, Muhammad as banning the "permanent presence of infidels in Arabia". On 5 November 2009, the Royal Saudi Land Forces launched a sweeping ground offensive against Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels after they crossed the Saudi border in order to outflank the Yemeni Army, which had launched a military campaign against the Houthis to control and pacify the northern Yemeni mountains, and killed two Saudi border guards. The Saudi forces relied heavily on air power and artillery to soften

2201-616: The Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) 2016. After exercising in the Mediterranean, the JEF(M) then sailed to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, whereupon Commander Amphibious Task Group Commodore Andrew Burns shifted his broad pennant from HMS Bulwark to HMS Ocean so that he could assume command of the United States Fifth Fleet Task Force 50 until March 2017. JEF (M) 16 composition: In April 2018, it

Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2272-493: The Mediterranean in early October 2012. One of the principle purposes of the deployment was to conduct large-scale amphibious exercises with participating allies. Key exercises included: 'Corsican Lion' with France; 'Albanian Lion' with Albania; a visit to Malta and exercises with the United States Navy and the Algerian Armed Forces . Commander UK Task Group, Commodore Paddy McAlpine said: "Cougar 12 provides us with

2343-638: The Officer Commanding the Support Troop from 6 Assault Squadron Royal Marines held a service of remembrance at the Souda Bay Commonwealth Grave site in Crete to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the bitter battle for the island . Cougar 11 saw, for the first time, British Army AgustaWestland Apache attack helicopters operating from the decks of a Royal Navy warship, HMS Ocean . During

2414-590: The Royal Navy of Oman, to conduct Exercise Saif Sareea 3 in October and November 2018. ATG18 composition: BALTIC PROTECTOR 19 composition: On the 28th of November 2023, it was announced that JEF(M) would deploy to patrol the Baltic Sea . Sweden announced that it would participate with two Visby-class corvettes. Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010

2485-740: The SMF has 2,500 personnel. Probably it is separate branch officially called Strategic Missile Forces (guessing by its website URL http://www.smf.gov.sa/ Archived 15 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine ). It certainly has one advanced Al-Watah ballistic missile base (found on the satellite images ) in the rocky central part of Saudi Arabia, some 200 km south-west of the capital city Riyadh . Two other bases include Al Sulayyil ballistic missile base (the older base located 450 km southwest of Riyadh) and Al Jufayr base (placed 90 km south of Riyadh) share many similarities, suggesting that they share

2556-537: The Saudis to the rational conclusion that their own military could potentially pose a greater threat to their line than any of their neighbors. In the decades that followed, though the Kingdom experienced unprecedented economic expansion and modernization; the Royal Armed Forces remained contained. From the late 1950s to the late 1970s, the Saudis did expand and modernize their military but at a stagnate rate, this despite

2627-587: The Saudis would pursue only limited increased support for their armed forces in the wake of the Grand Mosque Seizure in 1979. In the 1980s Saudi Arabia became a major source of financial but not military assistance, for the Mujahideen in Afghanistan , and the regime of Saddam Hussein in its war against Revolutionary Iran . The 1991 Gulf War saw the greatest threat to the Kingdom in modern history and

2698-452: The U.S. military to deploy in a comfortable and familiar battle environment. This new deal would increase these capabilities, as an advanced American military infrastructure is about to be built. The U.S. government was also in talks with Saudi Arabia about the potential sale of advanced naval and missile-defense upgrades. The United Kingdom has also been a major supplier of military equipment to Saudi Arabia since 1965. Canada recently won

2769-583: The armed forces was slowed to some 7,500–10,000 by 1953. Continued enlargement came to a halt in the late 1950s due to internal Saudi power struggles (including two plots by senior officers) and geo-political concerns, namely the Free Officers Revolution in Egypt followed by a brutal Baathist coup in Iraq, wherein expanded post-colonial Arab armies overthrew the domestic monarchies they had sworn allegiance to in 1952 and 1958, respectively. These events led

2840-440: The beaches of Gibraltar during amphibious landings. Cougar 14 composition: Cougar 15 took place alongside the larger NATO wide exercise Trident Juncture 15 . Trident Juncture is a key exercise for the Royal Navy, as the country will take command of NATO's Very High Readiness Task Force in 2016. Trident Juncture 15 consisted of over 36,000 personnel and 70 warships from several NATO and allied nations. The exercise saw both

2911-575: The biggest arms sale in American history—an estimated $ 60.5 billion purchase by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The package represented a considerable improvement in the offensive capability of the Saudi armed forces. The United States emphasized that the arms transfer would increase "interoperability" with U.S. forces. In the Persian Gulf War , having U.S.-trained Saudi Arabian forces, along with military installations built to U.S. specifications, allowed

Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2982-598: The carrier-variant F-35C had risen to twice the original estimate. On 3 August 2011, the House of Commons Defence Select Committee published a critical review of the SDSR. The review had led to wide-ranging cuts to the Armed Forces, which were widely criticised for damaging the capabilities of the British military. The review was subsequently criticized for leaving Britain unprepared in

3053-793: The case of some units by an estimated 30 to 50 percent. These shortages have been aggravated by a relaxed policy that permitted considerable absenteeism and by a serious problem of retaining experienced technicians and non-commissioned officers . The navy is divided into two fleets: the Western Fleet has bases in Jeddah , Jizan , and Al Wajh ; the Eastern Fleet has bases in Al Jubayl , Ad Dammam , Ras Mishab , and Ras al Ghar. The marines are organized into one infantry regiment with two battalions. The navy's inventory includes 11 principal surface combatants , 65 patrol and coastal combatants, 7 mine warfare vessels, 8 amphibious craft, and 7 support and miscellaneous craft. Naval aviation forces have 19 helicopters (armed) serving in naval support. The air force

3124-406: The continued high level expansion of the Saudi Armed Forces was a response to not only short term threats (including incursions by Yemeni rebels and the rise of ISIS) but long term regional strategic concerns, namely the increasing strength of Iran and the uncertain future of America's role in the region. In 2019, the government of Saudi Arabia stated that women can start working in the military. In

3195-477: The deployment the RFTG was involved in several multinational exercises: The first was 'Cypriot Lion' which included Royal Marines from 40 Commando , elements of 3 Commando Brigade HQ and a detachment from the Netherlands Marine Corps . The second major exercise was code-named 'Albanian Lion', a joint UK- Albanian military exercise and the first joint operation between the UK and the Albanian Armed Forces since Albania joined NATO in 2009. The third major exercise

3266-501: The early retirement of the Joint Force Harrier aircraft, the Harrier GR7/GR9 . Both of these measures were to save money for the purchase of the Queen Elizabeth -class aircraft carriers. The Harrier fleet made its last operational flights in December 2010. In 2011 72 British Harriers were sold to the United States to be used for spares. The SDSR proposed that one of the two Queen Elizabeth -class aircraft carriers currently under construction would be certain to be commissioned, with

3337-412: The fact the region was regularly at war. In 1969, South Yemeni forces attacked the Kingdom along the border but were swiftly defeated by Royal and allied forces. When the Yom-Kippur War broke out in 1973, Saudi Arabia used " Oil as a weapon ", to aid the Arab cause; this strategy significantly influenced world opinion against Israel though to what extent is remains unclear. Following these successes,

3408-445: The fate of the other left undecided. It had been suggested that only one carrier, routinely equipped with 12 fast jets, was to be in service at any one time, with the other carrier held in extended readiness. These plans were to be reviewed in 2015. However, in May 2014 it was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron that the second carrier, Prince of Wales , would be brought into service alongside Queen Elizabeth . He confirmed

3479-434: The first Western government to suspend future arms deal with the kingdom after Angela Merkel stated that "arms exports can't take place in the current circumstances." The Al-Fahd Infantry fighting vehicle and the Al-Faris 8–400 armored personnel carrier , used by Saudi land forces, were manufactured by the Abdallah Al Faris Company for Heavy Industries, based in Dammam . Also, Al-Kaser and Al-Mansour armored vehicles and

3550-440: The help of Pakistani and Western troops, the Saudi military captured the terrorists inside the Grand Mosque. When Iraq invaded Saudi Arabia's northern neighbor Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia immediately requested the deployment of U.S. troops within the country to deter further aggression. Saudi forces participated in the subsequent Operation Desert Storm : Saudi pilots flew more than 7,000 sorties and Saudi troops took part in

3621-402: The introduction into Royal Navy service of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, it is likely that future deployments of the JEF(M) will be under the afloat Command of COMCSG. The "scaleable nature" of the Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) means the Royal Navy assigns a wide range of relatively significant assets to the force, with its composition changing depending on the scenario and

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3692-454: The largest deployment of Saudi Armed Forces in history, with all levels of the Saudi military actively participating as part of the U.N. coalition against Iraq . In 1987, members of the air force, army, and navy used to be mainly recruits from groups of people without a strong identity from the Nejd tribal system and people from urban areas. King Abdullah increasingly moved towards comprehensive military reform following what he considered

3763-426: The northeast, the King Khalid Military City , at Tabuk, at Dharhran, and at Abha in the southwest. There was a 1996 report that construction of a military city at Jizan , orientated toward Yemen, had begun with Defense Minister Prince Sultan pouring the first concrete on 8 May 1996. The Library of Congress Country Study for Saudi Arabia, issued in 1992, noted that "[t]he army has been chronically under strength, in

3834-414: The others including the Royal Saudi National Guard (under the administrative control of the Ministry of National Guard ), the Royal Saudi Guard Regiment and the Royal Saudi Border Guards . The Royal Saudi Armed Forces are one of the best-funded in the world, having the world's sixth largest defense budget . The first steps towards building an institutionalised armed force for Saudi Arabia began in

3905-410: The past they could only work in police. The armed forces are mainly the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense and Aviation , which also oversees the construction of civilian airports as well as military bases , and meteorology departments. Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz was Saudi Arabia's Minister of Defense and Aviation from 1962 to 2011. The vice minister, Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz ,

3976-412: The range of ships available. In April 2011, the Response Force Task Group deployed for the first time since its announced establishment in October 2010. The deployment was "designed to demonstrate the versatile capabilities and high readiness" of the Response Force Task Group and engage with foreign allies in the Mediterranean Sea and East of Suez . On 9 May (en route to Cyprus ), seven senior NCOs and

4047-405: The rebels without risking their men. The Saudi Army lost 133 soldiers in the fighting against the rebels, with most of the casualties occurring when ground forces tried to move into areas that had been softened by shelling that "raised alarms across the Sunni Arab world about the possibility that Iran might be supporting the Yemeni rebels". The vast majority of Saudi Arabia's military equipment

4118-471: The same role. Armed Forces Medical Service of Saudi Arabia provides medical services to all members of the Armed Forces. It is led by a Director General and is responsible for 24 military hospitals across Saudi Arabia. The service operates aero lift operations with its own fleet of aircraft: In 1979, Islamic extremists took control of the Grand Mosque in Mecca . The extremists were led by Juhayman Al Otaiba and held many worshippers hostage for weeks. With

4189-428: The second vessel was already 40% built. The SDSR announced the government's intention to switch its purchase of F-35Bs to the carrier-variant F-35C to allow for a wider range and weapons to be used. However, in May 2012 this decision was reversed, and the F-35B was chosen instead, as the previous government had intended. This was because the cost of converting the Queen Elizabeth -class aircraft carriers to accommodate

4260-438: The start of Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. According to a report from the Global Affairs Canada , a record-breaking amount of military hardware was sold to Saudi Arabia in 2019, despite its poor human rights record. Following the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi , a nonbinding resolution was passed in the European Parliament on 25 October 2018, urging EU countries to impose an EU-wide arms embargo on Saudi Arabia. Germany became

4331-491: The world's most densely armed nations, with its military equipment being supplied primarily by the United States, France, and Britain. According to SIPRI , in 2010–14 Saudi Arabia became the world's second largest arms importer, receiving four times more major arms than in 2005–2009. Major imports in 2010–14 included 45 combat aircraft from the United Kingdom, 38 combat helicopters from the U.S., 4 tanker aircraft from Spain and over 600 armored vehicles from Canada. Saudi Arabia has

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4402-458: The world's second-largest arms importer, receiving four times more major arms than in 2005–2009. Major imports in 2010–14 included 45 combat aircraft from the UK, 38 combat helicopters from the U.S., four tanker aircraft from Spain, and over 600 armoured vehicles from Canada. Saudi Arabia received 41% of UK arms exports in 2010–14. France authorized $ 18 billion in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia in 2015 alone. The $ 15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia

4473-426: The £38 billion overspend in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) procurement budget addressed. With the government committed to reducing the national budget deficit , the Treasury asked the MoD to draw up options for a 10–20% real-terms cut in its budget. The final amount was a 7.7% reduction over four years. All three of Britain's armed forces would take cuts in manpower. Overall, the largest overseas deployment

4544-445: Was announced by the formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of the United Kingdom in May 2010, and published on 19 October 2010. The previous major review of UK defence strategy was the Strategic Defence Review , published in 1998, and updated in 2003 by the Delivering Security in a Changing World white paper . As well as wanting an updated security policy, both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats wanted

4615-439: Was announced that HMS Albion was being sent to the Far East to conduct UNSCR enforcement operations against North Korea , upon completion of which, the ship headed west to commence her participation in the Amphibious Task Group 18 (ATG18) deployment. With embarked battlestaff from COMLSG and HQ 3 Commando Brigade embarked, she rendezvoused with RFA Lyme Bay , RFA Cardigan Bay , and HMS Dragon , as well as elements from

4686-471: Was code-named 'Operation Red Alligator', described as a "major maritime security and anti-piracy exercise", it took place in the Persian Gulf with the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia . With the ongoing Civil War in Libya , on the 3 June 2011, five ships of the Response Force Task Group were temporarily detached and deployed off the Libyan coast as part of Operation Ellamy . Ocean launched repeated Apache gunships strikes from her flight deck and worked alongside

4757-411: Was conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel (extended to the 33rd Parallel in 1996) in Iraq , following the 1991 Persian Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq . This was one of the stated motivations behind the September 11 attacks , as well as the Khobar Towers bombing . Bin Laden interpreted

4828-469: Was exercise Albanian Lion 2014, followed by exercise Dragon Hammer 2014, concluding by 17 October 2014. Several ships also broke off to participate in the middle-eastern IMCMEX exercise. Once completed, they regrouped with the Cougar 14 Task Group for further exercises in the region. During December 2014 on the return journey to Britain, Bulwark and Lyme Bay conducted exercise Sea Snake, where Royal Marines from 40 Commando and 4 Assault Squadron 'stormed'

4899-455: Was expected to be not more than 30,000 personnel, including maritime and air force units. This compares to the 45,000 involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq . In November 2010, the MoD released its plan to implement the changes. The SDSR called for the almost immediate decommissioning of the Royal Navy flagship aircraft carrier, HMS  Ark Royal , rather than in 2016 as scheduled. This occurred on 11 March 2011. The Report also announced

4970-490: Was his full brother and served until November 2011. His oldest son, Khalid bin Sultan , was appointed assistant minister in 2001 and was in office until April 2013. Spending on defense and security has increased significantly since the mid-1990s and was about US$ 67 billion in 2013. Saudi Arabia ranks among the top five nations in the world in government spending for its military, representing about 9% of GDP in 2013. Its modern, high-technology arsenal makes Saudi Arabia among

5041-572: Was part of the Army until 1981 when it was made a separate service. It operates "Peace Shield" a state-of-the-art radar and air defense system consisting of a Command Operations Center at Riyadh , and main operating bases at Dhahran , Taif , Tabuk , Khamis Mushait and Al Kharj . The total system includes 164 sites. The system equipment comprises 17 General Electric AN/FPS-117 long-range 3D radars , 6 Northrop Grumman AN/TPS-43 tactical radars, and Raytheon Improved HAWK air defense missile system. The Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Forces (RSSMF)

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