Qatar

14. QATAR
Contents
Major Changes ....................................................................................... 1
General Data .......................................................................................... 1
Arms Trade............................................................................................ 3
Strategic Assets ...................................................................................... 3
Armed Forces......................................................................................... 4
Ground Forces........................................................................................ 5
Air Force ............................................................................................... 8
Air Defense Forces ............................................................................... 10
Navy................................................................................................... 10

Major Changes
• No major change has been recorded for the Qatari armed forces.

General Data
Official Name of the State: State of Qatar
Head of State: Shaykh Hamad ibn Khalifa al-Thani
Prime Minister: Abdallah Ibn Khalifa al-Thani
Minister of Defense: Shaykh Hamad ibn Khalifa al-Thani
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces: Shaykh Hamad ibn Khalifa al-Thani
Chief of General Staff: Brigadier General Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah
Commander of the Ground Forces: Colonel Saif Ali al-Hajiri
Commander of the Air Force: General Ali Saeed al-Hawal al-Marri
Commander of the Navy: Commodore Mohammed Nasser al-Mohanadi

Area: 11,437 sq. km.

Population: 900,000

Updated on 27/08/2007 1
 Qatar

Demography

Ethnic groups
• Arabs 360,000 40.0%
• Pakistanis 162,000 18.0%
• Indians 162,000 18.0%
• Persians 90,000 10.0%
• Others 126,000 14.0%
(mostly Southeast Asians)
Religious groups
• Sunni Muslims 630,000 70.3%
• Shi'ite Muslims 235,000 24.3%
• Others 45,000 5.4%

Economic Data
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
• GDP (current prices) $ bn 19.7 23.7 31.6 42.1 49.9
• GDP per capita $ 28,143 33,857 45,143 52,625 55,444
• Real GDP growth % 7.3 5.9 9.9 8.8 7.9
• Consumer price index % 1.0 2.3 6.8 8.8 7.2
• External debt $ bn 15.4 16.9 18.2 22.4 25.7
Balance of payments
• Exports fob $ bn 10.98 13.38 18.68 25.76 32.01
• Imports fob $ bn 3.65 4.36 5.41 9.06 12.36
• Current account balance $ bn 3.82 5.75 7.55 10.71 11.45
(including services and
income)
Government expenditure
• Total expenditure $ bn 6.44 6.4 NA NA NA
• Defense expenditure $ bn NA NA NA NA NA
• Real change in defense % NA NA NA NA NA
expenditure
• Defense expenditure/GDP % NA NA NA NA NA

Population m 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.9

Official exchange rate QR: $1 3.64 3.64 3.64 3.64 3.64
Sources: EIU Quarterly Report, EIU Country Profile, IMF International Financial
Statistical Yearbook, SIPRI Yearbook.

Updated on 27/08/2007 2
 Qatar

Foreign Military Cooperation

Type Details
• Foreign forces 450 US military personnel (September 2006)
• Joint maneuvers France (2003), GCC countries (2003), Italy (2007),
Pakistan (2007) UK, US (2002), Yemen
• Security agreement Bahrain, France, GCC, Germany (2005), Italy, Iran,
Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Korea (2006), USA
(2003)

Arms Trade
Arms Procurement and Security Assistance Received
Country Type Details
France • Arms transfers DV-15 FPBs (2003)
Sweden • Arms transfers Tactical communication systems (2004)
US • Arms transfers S-92 helicopters (2005) , Patriot SAMs
(2006)
• Military training Advisers, instructors (2006)
• Facilities Construction and upgrading of al-Udeid
AFB (2003)

Arms Sales and Security Assistance Extended

Country Type Details
US • Facilities Use of Air Operations Center at al-Udeid
AFB and Ground Operations Center at as-
Sayliyah; pre-positioning of equipment for
rapid deployment forces (2006)

Strategic Assets
NBC Capabilities
Nuclear capability
No known nuclear activity. Party to the NPT.
Chemical weapons and protective equipment
No known CW activities. Party to the CWC.
Biological weapons
No known BW activities. Party to the BWC.

Updated on 27/08/2007 3
 Qatar

Armed Forces
Order-of-Battle
Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
General data
• Personnel 11,800 11,800 11,800 11,800 11,800
(regular)
Ground Forces
• Number of 2 2 2 2 2
brigades
• Total number of 11 11 11 11 11
battalions
• Tanks 44 44 30 (44)* 30 (44) 30 (44)
• APCs/AFVs ~260 ~260 280 280 (310) 280 (310)
(338) (338) (310)*
• Artillery 56 56 56 56 56
(including
MRLs)
Air Force
• Combat aircraft 18 18 12* 12 12
• Transport aircraft 7 (8) 7 (8) 7 (8) 7 (8) 7 (8)
• Helicopters 30 (31) 30 (31) 24 (25)* 24 (25) 24 (25)
Air Defense
Forces
• Light SAM 51 51 51 51 51
launchers
Navy
• Combat vessels 7 7 7 7 7
• Patrol craft 13 13 13 17 17
* Due to change in estimate.

Personnel
Regular Reserve Total
Ground Forces 8,500 8,500
Air Force 1,500 1,500
Navy (including Marine Police) 1,800 1,800
Total 11,800 11,800
Paramilitary
• Armed Police 8,000 8,000

Updated on 27/08/2007 4
 Qatar

Ground Forces
Formations
Independent Independent Battalions in brigades
brigades / battalions
groups
Armored 1 1 armd., 1 mech., 1 aty.
Mechanized 4
Royal Guard 1 3 inf.
Special forces 1
Artillery 2
Total 2 7

Tanks
Model Quantity In service Since Notes
MBTs
Medium and low
quality
• AMX-30 44 30 1978/1996
Total 44 30

Updated on 27/08/2007 5
 Qatar

APCs/AFVs
Model Quantity In service Since Notes
APCs
• VAB 134 134 1978 4 mortar carriers,
24 mounted with
HOT ATGM
• AMX-10 VCI 30 30 Versions VCA and
PC used for
Artillery support
Subtotal 164 164
IFVs
• Piranha II 40 40 1998 36 with LAV
90mm guns, 2
CMP and 2 ARV
• AMX-10P 40 40 1978
• V-150 Commando 8 8 1986
Subtotal 88 88
Reconnaissance
• AMX 10RC 12 12 1981
• Engesa EE-9 20 0 1978
Subtotal 32 12
Light Armored
Vehicles
• VBL 16 16 1994
• Ferret 10 0 1968
Subtotal 26 16
Total 310 280

Updated on 27/08/2007 6
 Qatar

Artillery
Model Quantity In service Since Notes
Self-propelled guns
and howitzers
• 155mm Mk F-3 22 22 1984
(AMX)
Towed guns and
howitzers
• 155mm G-5 12 12 1991
Mortars, under
160mm
• 120mm Brandt 15 15 1993
• 81mm VPM SP 4 4 1977 Mounted on VAB
APCs
Subtotal 19 19
MRLs
• 122mm BM-21 + +
• Astros II 3 3 1992 127mm SS-30 or
180mm SS-40
Total 56 56

Anti-Tank Missiles
Model Launchers Missiles Since Notes
• HOT 48 + 1978 24 are mounted on
VAB
• MILAN 60-100 + 1987
Total ~108

Updated on 27/08/2007 7
 Qatar

Air Force
Order-of-Battle
Category Quantity In service Notes
Combat 12 12
Transport 8 7
Helicopters 25 24

Combat Aircraft
Model Quantity In service Since Notes
Advanced multi-role
• Mirage 2000 12 12 1997

Transport Aircraft
Model Quantity In service Since Notes
• Airbus 340 1 1 1993
• Boeing 727 1 1 1979
• Boeing 707 2 2 1977
• Britten-Norman BN-2 1 1 1986
Islander
• Mystère-Falcon 900 3 2 1991
Total 8 7

Training and Liaison Aircraft

Model Quantity In service Since Notes
Jet trainers
• Alpha jet 6 6 1980
Total 6 6
Future procurement
• Hawk 100 18 Under negotiation

Updated on 27/08/2007 8
 Qatar

Helicopters
Model Quantity In service Since Notes
Attack
• SA-342 Gazelle 13 12 1983 2 employed as
light helicopters
with police
Medium transport
• S-92 1 1 2006 VIP transport
• Westland Commando 4 4 1982 4 out of 12 used
Mk 2/ Mk 3 for VIP transport
Subtotal 5 5
Naval combat
• Westland Commando 8 8 1982
Mk 2/ Mk 3
Total 25 24

Miscellaneous Aircraft
Model Quantity In service Since Notes
Target drones
• TTL BTT-3 Banshee + + Unconfirmed

Advanced Armament
Air-to-air-missiles
Mica (144), R-550 Magic II (272), R-530 (128)
Air-to-ground-missiles
AM-39 Exocet, AS-30L (128)
Note: Number in parentheses refers to the quantity of missiles purchased, not to current
inventory levels.
Air Force Infrastructure
Military airfields 3
Doha, al-Ghariyeh, al-Udeid

Updated on 27/08/2007 9
 Qatar

Air Defense Forces

Surface-to-Air Missiles
Model Launchers Since Notes
Light missiles
• Mistral 24 1995
• Rapier 18 1984
• Roland 2 9 1988 Number unconfirmed
Total 51
Shoulder-launched
missiles
• FIM-92A Stinger 12 1989
• Blowpipe 6 1986
Total 18
Command and
Control
• GCC Arial Early + +
Warning system

Navy
Combat Vessels
Type Quantity Length (m.)/ Notes/armament
displacement (t.)
MFPBs
• Barzan (Vita Vosper 4 56.3/376 8xMM 40 Exocet SSMs
Thornycroft) 8xMistral SAMs
1x76mm gun
1x30mm gun
• Damsah class 3 56/345 8xMM 40 Exocet SSMs
(Combattante III) 1x76mm gun
2x40mm guns
4x30mm guns
Total 7

Updated on 27/08/2007 10
 Qatar

Patrol Craft
Type Quantity Length (m.)/ Notes/armament
displacement (t.)
• Helmatic (M-160) 3 16/20
• Damen (Polycat 1450) 3 14.5/18 1x20mm gun
• Crestitalia (MV-45) 4 14.5/17 1x20mm gun
with police
• P-1200 3 11.9/12.7 With police
• DV-15 4 15.5/12 12.7mm MG
Total 17
Future Procurement
• DV-15 2 15.5/12 Optional

Landing Craft
Type Quantity Length (m.)/ Notes/armament
displacement (t.)
• LCT 1 48.8 3 tanks, 110 troops

Coastal Defense
Type Batteries Notes
• MM-40 Exocet 3-4

Naval Infrastructure
Naval bases 2
Doha, Halul Island

Updated on 27/08/2007 11