The 1991 Persian Gulf War

Saudi Arabia

by David Nilsen and Greg Novak

The Saudi armed forces were an interesting mixture. Though conscription exists on paper, the army and air force are recruited mainly from volunteers. After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, reservists were recalled to service to bring the army up to strength. As one might expect, the Saudi oil revenues have allowed the nation to purchase a great deal of up-to-date equipment, primarily from the United States and France. Not all of the Saudi units are listed below, only those which served in the Liberation of Kuwait.

The Saudi ground forces consist of the Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF), their regular army, and the Saudi Army NationalGuard (SANG). The RSLF, although it will accept conscripts, is filled largely by volunteers. However, the RSLF ranks include a large number of citizens of other Moslem nations serving under contract. While this is particularly true of the RSLF support echelons, Saudi Arabia has actually employed entire brigades of Pakistani and Moroccan contract troops to operate Saudi-owned equipment sets along its borders.

The SANG, on the other hand, is recruited from the Bedouin tribes of Saudi Arabia. It is widely regarded as the better of the two ground forces, as its role calls for it to spend far more time training in the field.

ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE

All Saudi Air Crews should be rated as Veteran, Morale 10

RSLF and SANG

The Royal Saudi Land Forces should be rated as Regular, Morale 9.
The SANG should be rated as Experienced, Morale 10.

4th Armored Brigade, with:

Brigade Headquarters, with:

    1 command stand
    1 Land Rover
    1 AMX-10PC TOC

3 Armored Battalions, each with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command AMX-30S
      1 AMX-10PC TOC
      1 engineer stand
      1 recon AML-90 armored car
      1 light truck
      1 M 106 SP 107 mortar
      2 2.5-ton heavy trucks
      1 AMX-30D ARV
      1 maintenance van

    3 Tank Companies, each with:

      1 command AMX-30S
      1 AMX-30S

Mechanized Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 Land Rover
      1 AMX-1OPC TOC
      1 engineer stand
      1 Stinger stand
      2 light trucks
      1 M106 SP 107 mortar
      1 EL-90
      1 M901 ITV
      2 2.5-ton heavy trucks
      1 AMX-10 ECH ARV
      1 maintenance van

    3 Infantry Companies, each with:

      1 command stand
      3 infantry stands
      1 M125 SP 81 mortar
      3 AMX-10P

Self-Propelled Field Artillery Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 Land Rover
      1 AMX-1OPC TOC
      1 AMX-10 ECH ARV
      2 5-ton trucks

    3 Firing Batteries, each with:

      1 command stand
      1 FO stand
      2 Land Rovers
      1 GCT SP 155 howitzer
      1 5-ton truck

8th Mechanized Brigade, with:

Brigade Headquarters, with:

    1 command stand
    1 Land Rover
    1 M577 TOC

Armored Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command M6OA3
      1 M577 TOC
      1 engineer stand
      1 recon M113A2
      1 light truck
      1 M106 SP 107 mortar
      2 2.5-ton heavy trucks
      1 M88 ARV
      1 maintenance van

    3 Tank Companies, each with: 1 command M6OA3 and 1 M6OA3

3 Mechanized Battalions, each with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 Land Rover
      1 M577 TOC
      1 engineer stand
      1 Stinger stand
      2 light trucks
      1 M106 SP 107 mortar
      1 EL-90
      1 M901 ITV
      2 2.5-ton heavy trucks
      1 M578 ARV
      1 maintenance van

    3 Infantry Companies, each with:

      1 command stand
      3 infantry stands
      1 M125 SP 81 mortar
      3Mll3A2 APCs

Self-Propelled Field Artillery Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 M113A2
      1 M577 TOC
      1 M88 ARV
      2 5-ton trucks

    3 Firing Batteries, each with:

      1 command stand
      1 FO stand
      2 M113A2
      1 M109A2 SP 155 howitzers
      1 M992 FAASV

10th Mechanized Brigade

as 8th Mechanized Brigade, but each tank company should be:

    1 command M6OA3 with full-width mine rake
    1 M60A3 with mine plow

and add:

Engineer Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 M113A2 APC

    2 Engineer Companies, each with:

      1 command engineer stand
      1 engineer stands
      2 M113A2 APCs
      2 line charge trailers
      1 bulldozer
      1 AVLB

20th Mechanized Brigade
as 8th Mechanized Brigade

14th Field Artillery Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 Land Rover
      1 5-ton expandable van TOC

    3 Firing Batteries, each with:

      1 command stand
      1 FO stand
      2 Land Rovers
      1 gun crew stand (ds)
      1 M198 155 howitzer 1 5-ton truck

15th Field Artillery Battalion (MLRS), with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 M113A2
      1 M577 TOC

    3 Firing Batteries, each with:

      1 command stand
      1 FO stand
      2 M113A2
      1 ASTROS It MLRS
      1 medium truck

18th Field Artillery Battalion (MLRS)
as 15th Field Artillery Battalion

Royal Saudi Marine Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 Land Rover
      1 BMR-600P TOC
      1 engineer stand
      1 Stinger stand
      2 light trucks
      1 M 106 SP 107 mortar
      1 M901 1TV
      2 2.5-ton heavy trucks
      1 maintenance van

    3 Infantry Companies, each with:

      1 command stand
      3 infantry stands
      1 M125 SP 81 mortar
      1 EL-90
      3 BMR-600P TV

2nd King Abdul Azlz National Guard Brigade, with:

    Brigade Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 Land Rover
      1 V-150 TOC

    4 National Guard Combined Arms Battalions (5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th), each with:

      Battalion Headquarters, with:
        1 command stand
        1 Land Rover
        1 V-150 TOC
        1 V-150 ARV
        1 5-ton supply truck

      3 Line Companies, each with:

        1 command V-150 with HMG
        3 infantry stands
        3 V-150 with HMG
        1 V-150 with 20mm
        1 V-150 with TOW
        1 V-150 with 90mm
        1 V-150 SP 81 mortar

    Engineer Company, with:

      1 command engineer stand
      2 engineer stands
      3 V-150 engineer vehicle
      1 earthmover

2nd Artillery Battalion, with:

    1 command stand
    1 Land Rover
    1 V-150 TOC

4 Firing Batteries, with:

    1 command stand
    1 Land Rover
    1 FO stand
    1 V-150 APC with HMG
    1 gun crew (ds)
    1 towed 155mm M198 howitzer
    1 medium truck

2nd Air Defense Battery, with:

    1 command stand
    1 Land Rover
    2 V-150 Vulcan ADA vehicles
    4 Stinger stands
    4 Land Rovers

Notes

1. Saudi infantry stands use the Carl Gustav as their light antitank weapon.

2. One stand in each mechanized infantry company is equipped with the Dragoon as the medium antitank weapon.

3. One stand in each mechanized infantry company is equipped with either the Redeye or Stinger for air defense.

4. The 10th Mech Brigade was the breach force for Joint Forces Command-East. Its engineer battalion was a scratch force assembled from Saudi assets, with instruction and equipment augmentation from the United States.

5. In all Joint Forces Command task forces, the headquarters of the Saudi unit present should be considered the overall headquarters for the task force, with the other national forces subordinate to it.

More Tables of Organization

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© Copyright 1994 by Greg Novak.
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