Bahrain Defence Force

Bahrain Defence Force قوة دفاع البحرين
Service branches	Royal Bahraini Army Royal Bahraini Air Force Royal Bahrain Naval Force Royal Guard Bahrain Royal Medical Services
Leadership
Supreme Commander	Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Commander in chief	Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa
Chief of Defense	Theyab bin Saqer Al Noaimi
Manpower
Active personnel	13,000 (approximate)
Expenditures
Budget	$1.365 billion (2014)
Percent of GDP	3.9% (2014)

The Military of Bahrain popularly known as Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) was under Bahrain's Ministry of Defence and a part of the government and is simply Bahrain Defence Force under a field marshal who is the commander-in-chief.

It numbers about 13,000 personnel^[1] and consists of the Royal Bahraini Air Force, Royal Bahraini Army, Royal Bahraini Navy and the Bahrain Royal Medical Services. Apart from the BDF, the public security forces and the Coast Guard report to the Ministry of Interior.

In January 2008, the Crown Prince, Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was appointed as the Deputy Supreme Commander,^[2] while Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the BDF.^[3]

GCC support

Bahrain, in conjunction with its GCC partners has moved to upgrade its defenses in response to the threat posed by the Iran-Iraq and Persian Gulf wars.

In 1982, the GCC gave Bahrain $1.7 billion to help improve its defenses. Bahrain's defense spending since 1999 has been steady. The government spends around $320 million annually on their military.

U.S. support

After the Gulf War, Bahrain received additional military support from the United States, including the sale of 54 M60A3 tanks, 12 F-16C/D aircraft, and 14 Cobra helicopters. Joint naval, air and ground exercises also have been planned and executed to increase readiness throughout the Persian Gulf. Bahrain and the United States signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement in October 1991, granting U.S. forces access to Bahraini facilities and ensuring the right to pre-position material for future crises. In 2003, George W. Bush designated Bahrain as a major non-NATO ally of the United States. Since 2003, Bahrain has been granted over $100 million in Foreign Military Funding to pay for various high-profile weapons systems, to include an AN/TPS-59(v)3B Early Warning Radar, Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM), Air-to-Air Missile Avoidance System for the King's Plane (Boeing 747-400), as well as an Avenger Air Defense Vehicle.

Commanders-in-Chief of the BDF

#	Name	Picture	Took Office	Left Office
1	Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa		1969	1999
2	Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa		1999	2008
3	Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa	picture	2008	Still

See also

• National Guard (Bahrain)
• Special Security Force Command

References

1. "Bahrain". The 2011 US Department of State Background Notes. United States Department of State. Retrieved 2 March 2012. The Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) numbers about 13,000 personnel.
2. "Royal Decree No 1 of the Year 2008 on the Appointment of the Deputy Supreme Commander". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 6 January 2008.
3. "Royal Decree No 2 of the Year 2008 on the Appointment of the Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 6 January 2008.

External links

• Background Note: Bahrain - Defense U.S. Department of State