Qatar Armed Forces


The Qatar Armed Forces are the military forces of Qatar. Since 2015, Qatar has implemented mandatory military conscription with an average of 2000 graduates per year. As of 2010, Qatar's defence expenditures added up to a total of $1.913 billion, about 1.5% of the national GDP, according to the SIPRI. 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 defense efforts of the Gulf Cooperation Council; the other five members are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and Oman. Qatar also hosts the largest American military base in the Middle East and in 2017 inaugurated a military attache office in Washington.
SIPRI states that Qatar's plans to transform and significantly enlarge its armed forces have accelerated in 2014, and in 2010-14 Qatar was the 46th largest arms importer in the world. Orders in 2013 for 562 tanks and 75 self-propelled guns from Germany were followed in 2014 by a number of other contracts, including 34 combat helicopters and 13 AEW aircraft from the USA, and 6 tanker aircraft from Spain. As of 2016, Qatar maintains advanced anti air and anti ship capabilities with deliveries of Patriot PAC-3 MSE Batteries, Exocet MM40 Block 3 and Marte ER anti-ship missiles.

History

The armed forces were founded in 1971 after the country gained independence from the United Kingdom.
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. The Canadian Air Task Group with 26 CF-18s was also based in Doha, Qatar flying combat missions during the Gulf War.
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.

Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen

According to Aljazeera news, in December 2016 Qatar deployed 1,000 ground troops in Yemen to fight in behalf of the ousted president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, Qatar Armed Forces soldiers, backed by 200 armoured vehicles and 30 Apache helicopters, head to Yemen's Marib province.
The Armed Forces of Qatar have suffered 4 killed and 2 wounded during the deployment in Yemen.

Military branches

Army

The Qatar Emiri Land Force is the largest branch of the Qatar Armed Forces.
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 was equipped with French-built AMX-30 main battle tanks, before later being replaced by German Leopard 2A7's. 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.
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Qatari tank battalion fought in the Gulf war in 1991, their AMX-30s 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

bulletproofed by stark motors

Small arms

The Qatari Emiri Navy, also called the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces, is the naval branch of the armed forces of the State of Qatar.

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:
As of January 1993, all the air force's aircraft were based at Doha International Airport.

Air Force equipment

AircraftOriginTypeVersionsIn serviceNotes
Mirage 2000Multirole fighterMirage 2000-512Operated by the 7th Air Superiority Squadron, first delivery 1997
RafaleMultirole fighterRafale1518 single-seat and 6 two-seat versions on order and 12 more were ordered
F-15EStrike fighter
F-15QA		0In June 2017, US agreed to sell 36 Boeing F-15QA Strike Eagle aircraft
Eurofighter TyphoonMultirole fighter024 on order, first delivery 2022
Boeing 737 AEW&CAirborne early warning and controlBoeing 737 AEW/C03 on order
Airbus A330 MRTTAerial refuelling and transportA330 MRTT02 on order
Dassault Falcon 900VIP transport2
Airbus 340VIP transport2
Airbus 320

transport

1

Airbus 310

transport

1

Airbus 300

transport

1
Boeing 747SPVIP transport
2

Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIStrategic air transportC-17A4

One aircraft operated by Qatar Amiri Flight, 4 entered service between 2009-2012. Four more are on order as of June 2015.
Boeing 707VIP transport2
Boeing 727VIP transport1
C-130J Super HerculesTactical air transportC-130J-304All entered service in 2011
PAC Super MushshakTrainer aircraftPAC Super Mushshak8
Piper CherokeeTraining and LiaisonPA-28 Archer10
Piper PA-34 SenecaTraining and LiaisonPA-34 Seneca4
Pilatus PC-21Basic & Advanced Trainer aircraftPC-21024 on order
Alpha JetAdvanced trainer/light attackAlpha Jet E6Operated by the 6th Close Support Squadron
Boeing AH-64 ApacheAttack helicopterAH-64D024 on order
Boeing AH-64 ApacheAttack helicopterAH-64E024 on order
TAI/AgustaWestland_T129_ATAKAttack helicopterT129 ATAK030 on order
NHIndustries NH90Medium transportNH-90024 on order
NHIndustries NH90Anti-submarine warfare and Anti-surface unit warfare NFH-90022 on order
Westland Lynx-HC28

Helicopter

3
probably taken out of service
Aérospatiale GazelleUtility/attack helicopterSA 342G /L 14Operated by 6th Close Support Squadron
Sikorsky UH-60R Sea Hawk

ASW helicopter


6 requested, but not actually ordered?
AgustaWestland AW13918 Tactical transport, 3 medivac21
Sikorsky S-92VIP transport2
Westland CommandoTransport/utility and maritime patrol helicopterCommando 2A, 2C and 3 variants12-13Commando 2A/2C are operated by 9th Multirole Squadron
Commando 3 are operated by 8th Anti Surface Vessel Squadron
Historical Aircraft