Royal Naval Force
Encyclopedia
The Royal Naval Force is the Naval entity of the Jordanian Armed Forces
. As Jordan is landlocked except at its southern extremity, with only 26 kilometres (16.2 mi) of shoreline along the Gulf of Aqaba
providing access to the Red Sea
, its Naval Force comprises only 17 patrol boats, and has a total complement of about 300. The Naval Force is organizationally part of the army.
The Naval Force was established at Aqaba
in 1951 as the Royal Coast Guard. In 1952, Coast Guard Headquarters were moved to the Dead Sea
area and remained there until 1967. In 1974, the Coast Guard was provided with four Bertram class medium patrol boats and equipment for divers and frogmen. In 1991, the Coast Guard acquired three Hawk class heavy patrol boats. On 13 November 1991 the Royal Coast Guard was renamed the Royal Naval Force.
As of July 2010 the Commander of the Navy is Major General Dari al-Zaben.
Jordanian Armed Forces
The Jordanian Armed Forces , also referred to as The Arab Army , with all of it branches, is under direct control of the King of Jordan...
. As Jordan is landlocked except at its southern extremity, with only 26 kilometres (16.2 mi) of shoreline along the Gulf of Aqaba
Gulf of Aqaba
The Gulf of Aqaba is a large gulf located at the northern tip of the Red Sea. In pre twentieth-century and modern sources it is often named the Gulf of Eilat, as Eilat is its predominant Israeli city ....
providing access to the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, its Naval Force comprises only 17 patrol boats, and has a total complement of about 300. The Naval Force is organizationally part of the army.
The Naval Force was established at Aqaba
Aqaba
Aqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important...
in 1951 as the Royal Coast Guard. In 1952, Coast Guard Headquarters were moved to the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
area and remained there until 1967. In 1974, the Coast Guard was provided with four Bertram class medium patrol boats and equipment for divers and frogmen. In 1991, the Coast Guard acquired three Hawk class heavy patrol boats. On 13 November 1991 the Royal Coast Guard was renamed the Royal Naval Force.
As of July 2010 the Commander of the Navy is Major General Dari al-Zaben.
Patrol boats
- 3 × Al-Hussein classHawk class patrol boatThe Hawk class of fast patrol craft is in service with the Royal Naval Force of Jordan. The ships were built by British shipbuilder Vosper Thornycroft ....
(VT Hawk) (2 × 30 mm guns, 1 × 20 mm gun, 2 × 12.7 mm machine guns) - 2 × Al-Hashim class (Type 412) (1 × 12.7 mm MGs)
- 12 × Abdullah class (2 × 12.5 mm MGs)
- 4 × Faysal class (Bertram) (1 × 12.7 mm MGs)
- 4 × Faysal class (Commander) (2 × 12.5 mm MGs)
- 2 × Falcon class ( Rafaiel remote controlled ) (1 × 7.62 mm MGs)
Special Maritime Forces
- 4 × 17 foot launch
- 4 × 19 foot GRPGlass-reinforced plasticFiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
- 1 × Light craft SRB