This large mid-Eastern country enjoys the benefit of many years of arms accumulation encompassing purchases from both pro-western sellers as well as pro-soviet. The Saudi (male only) is concripted into the military between the ages of 18 to 35, with a total in arms of approximately 51,500 (.429 % of their 12 million population).
It should be noted that at the conclusion of the Gulf War, much of the allied armor and other heavy equipment was left in the region. It is expected that a goodly number of main battle tanks, artillery, and other major war waging weapons were sold in place to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and/or Kuwait probably in turn for secret supplies of oil or other concessions. This information is based upon speculation, however, tonnage coming home greatly mismatched that one would expect from spent munitions and supplies.
Total Armed Forces: 51,500
Total defense budget( 1983): $22 billion out of a $153 billion Gross Domestic Product (14.379% GDP to defense).
The following is a list of the weapons known to be owned by the Saudis as of 1/1/86:
35,000 men
3 Armored Brigades, with 1 forming
2 Mechanized Brigades
2 Infantry Brigades (1 being changed to another Mechanized)
1 Airborne Brigade (2 para batallions, 3 special forces companies.)
1 Royal Guard Regiment (3 batallions)
5 Artillery Batteries
18 Antiaircraft Artillery Batteries
14 Surface-to-Air-Missile Batteries
12 Improved Hawk (216 missiles)
2 Shahine 12 missile batteries (48 missiles) and AMX-30S
30mm Anti-Aircraft guns.
300 AMX-30 Armored Fighting Vehicles
150 M-60A1 Main Battle Tanks
200 AML-60/-90 armored cars
350 AMX-10P (some with HOT missiles)
20 VCC-1 (with TOW missiles)
800 M-113 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicles or Panhard M-3
Armored Personnel Carrier.
100 M-101/102 105 mm
29 FH-70 105 mm Model 50
18 M-198 155mm Towed Howitzer
18 M-109 155mm self propelled howitzer
18 GCT 155mm self propelled howitzer
18 81mm mortar
19 M-30 107mm mortar
uncounted 75 mm, 90mm, 106mm recoiless anti-tank launchers
uncounted TOW, DRAGON, HOT Antitank Guided Weapons (missiles)
14,000 men, with 203 combat aircraft
3 Ground Attack Fighter Squadrons (65 F-5E)
4 Interceptor squadrons
1 Squadron with 15 Lighting F-53, 2 T-55
3 Squadrons with 62 F-15
5 E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS)
2 ECM aircraft
2 Operational Conversion ? Squadrons
24 F-5F
16 F-5B
15 TF-15D
5 F-5E fighters
1 F-5F trainer
10 RF-5E Recce
3 Transport squadrons
50 C-130E or C-130H Hercules
8 KC-130H air-to-air refueling aircraft
2 Gates Learjet JetStars
4 CN-235
1 Boeing 747
40 C-212-200 transports
8 Boeing KE-3 (KC-707) tankers
2 Helicoptor Squadrons
12 AB-206B (Agusta-Bell 206 "JetRanger" OH-58A Kiowa)
14 Ab-205 (Based on Agusta-Bell 205 "Huey", UH-1A)
10 AB-212 (Agusta-Bell Twin engined UH-1N)
22 AB-212 (on order)
8 KV-707 helicopter
1000 AIM-7F Sparrow AAM
1,177 Sidewinder AAM
1,600 Maverick ASM
uncounted Red Top, Firestreak, Sidewinder, AIM-7F Sparrow AAM
uncounted Maverick ASM
2,500 men
2 Fleet headquarters ships
1 F-2000 frigate (8 Otomat SSM, 1X26 Crotale SAM, 1 SA-365
Helo)
4 PCG-1 Corvettes wit 2X4 Harpoon SSM
9 PGG-1 Fast Attack Torpedo boat with 2X2 Harpoon
1 former coast guard cutter
3 Jaguar (Lurssen) Fast Attack Torpedo boat
4 MSC-322 coastal minesweepers
4 US Utility Landing Craft
8 US LCM-6 medium landing craft
4 landing craft (vehicles and/or personnel)
24 AS-365N Dauphine 2 Helicopters
4 Search and Rescue
20 with AS-15TT Anti Shipping Missile
3 F-2000 frigates (new)
2 logical support ships
2 Atlantic II Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft
8 BH-7 Hovercraft
200 AS-15TT Anti Shipping Missiles
uncounted Otomat coast defense SSM