- Source: Qatari Emiri Navy
The Qatari Emiri Navy (Arabic: البحرية الأميري القطرية, romanized: Al-Bahriyah Al-Amiriyah Al-Qatariyah) (QEN), also called the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces (QENF), is the naval branch of the armed forces of the State of Qatar.
History
The State of Qatar did not possess any ships originally upon gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1971, but by 1992 the country's armed forces had grown considerably, and included a navy of about 700 personnel. Three La Combattante III missile boats from France formed the core of the Qatari fleet in the 1990s, later seeing the addition of six Vosper Thornycroft large patrol boats. By 2010, it increased in size to about 1,800 personnel, and has taken part in multiple naval exercises with the United States Navy and other countries.
Organization
Unable to support a large military, Qatar relies on a smaller mobile force that can quickly repel incursions into its territorial waters. However, the Iran–Iraq War saw attacks on shipping just outside the country's territorial waters, underscoring its vulnerability. Despite the expansion, the Qatar Emiri Navy remains too under-manned, under-trained, and under-equipped to be able to effectively defend its waters as well as the commercial assets in it. The Qatar Navy includes its coast guard, marine police and coastal artillery.
Ship and equipment of Qatari Emiri Navy
The current fleet of the Qatari Emiri Navy is as follows:
= Minor patrol forces
=4 Vosper patrol boats United Kingdom 120 tons full load
6 Vosper 110 ft. class PCs United Kingdom
6 Damen Polycat 1,450 class PCs
2 Keith Nelson type 44 ft.class PCs
2 Fairey Marine Interceptor class PCs United Kingdom
4 MV-45 class PCs
25 Fairy Marine Spear class United Kingdom
5 P-1500 class PCs
4 DV-15 class PCs
3 Helmatic M-160 class PCs
= Special maritime forces
=11 fast interceptor boats Qatar
= Auxiliary
=2 Halmatic (Vosper Thornycroft) Pilot craft
4 Rotrork craft
= Missiles and equipment
=4 × Oto Melara 76 mm Compact-weapon system Italy
MBDA Exocet MM40 Block-III (x 70)\ MM-40 (x 220)\ MM-38 SSMs France
MBDA Mistral SAMs France
4 × Goalkeeper anti missile\aircraft gun Netherlands
4 × Stingeo ship sensor Netherlands
4 × Exocet coast defense batteries France
4 × MMR-3D Radar France
Ranks
Officer ranks
Enlisted and NCO ranks
Future acquisitions
The patrol boat program called for the delivery of six patrol boats with the first unit beginning construction in 2012 and being delivered by 2014. Although the proposals for the corvette program were due in the near-term as well, AMI believed that the four corvettes may not begin construction for several more years as Damen/Nakilat may want to gain some experience with the smaller 62-meter patrol boat hulls prior to moving on the larger Sigma hulls. If the QENF wishes to move the corvette program forward to an earlier date, it could start some of the hull blocks at Nakilat and/or at Damen in the Netherlands much earlier.
The Qatar Coast Guard Services placed an order for 17 new fast patrol boats from the Turkish company ARES Shipyard. The deal of 17 vessels consists in ten "ARES 110 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft 117 tons, five "ARES 75 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft 58 tons and two "ARES 150 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft 245 tons. These fast patrol boats will be constructed using advanced composite materials and are expected to be completed within the next five years.
On 31 March 2014, Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ) and Qatar Armed Forces signed two MoUs for the construction of seven vessels at Qatar's premier shipyard ($851 million). The MoUs signed by NDSQ and Qatar Armed Forces concern six 50 m (164 ft)-long axe-bow high-speed patrol vessels and one 52 m (171 ft)-long diving support vessel for the Qatar Armed Forces. The diving support vessel includes decompression capabilities. A large Integrated Logistic Support package is also mentioned in the MoUs.
On 16 June 2016, Qatar has signed a letter of agreement with Italian shipyard Fincantieri to build:
1 landing helicopter dock (similar to the Fincantieri-built Algerian amphibious transport dock Kalaat Béni Abbès;
4 Doha-class corvettes (3,250 tons) with a helicopter deck and hangar. Weapons: 1 Oto Melara 76 mm, two 30 mm guns, 16-cell VLS for Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles, 8 Exocet MM40 Block III anti-ship missiles, and a RAM launcher with 21 RIM-116 short range rolling airframe missiles. First keel laid by Fincantieri in November 2018.
2 offshore patrol boats (670 tons). Weapons: 1 Oto Melara 76 mm, 2 30 mm guns, 8-cell VLS for VL MICA short range surface-to-air missiles and 4 Exocet MM40 Block III anti-ship missiles.
The deal has a worth of €4.9 billion.
On 19 December 2017, the Qatari Navy was said to be going ahead with plans to reinforce its underwater capabilities including the possibility of acquiring light submarines.
The Qatar Emiri Naval Forces ordered two cadet training ships (CTS) from Turkish shipbuilder Anadolu Shipyard. According to Anadolu Shipyard, the vessels will displace 1,950 tonnes and feature a helipad for a medium-size helicopter. The vessels are also set to be capable of performing offshore patrol duties.
In February 2020, Qatar had a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Italian defense company Fincantieri, to acquire submarines and aircraft carriers, based on a 5-billion-euro deal signed in 2017.
References
External links
Rank insignia of the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces (in Russian)
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- MICA (peluru kendali)
- Operasi Odyssey Dawn
- 2022
- Perang Saudara Libya Kedua
- Kematian dan pemakaman Pangeran Philip, Adipati Edinburgh
- Sejarah Bahrain
- Kematian tahun 2022
- Qatari Emiri Navy
- Qatar Armed Forces
- Musherib-class offshore patrol vessel
- Patrol boat
- Qatari amphibious transport dock Al Fulk
- Al Zubarah-class corvette
- QENS Al Zubarah
- QENS Musherib
- Barzan-class fast attack craft
- QENS Damsah