Bahrain Amiri Air Force / Royal Bahraini Air Force
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DESIGNATION
The title Royal Bahraini Air Force was adopted when the
country was renamed Kingdom of Bahrain on February 2002.
PROCUREMENT
The Bahraini Defence Forces (as originally named) were
equipped only with helicopters, when the
worsening situation in the Gulf area prompted the government to seek combat
aircrafts and develop an air defence capability.
On early 1982 the US government offered Northrop F-5E and F-5F for
about USD 180 million, but,
before acceptance, the offer was amended in September 1982 to read 4 Northrop
F-5G
Tigersharks (later called
F-20A) and 2 F-5F; Bahrain was not
prepared to be the launch customer for the new Northrop F-5G. After
studying alternatives (such as the GAMD Mirage 2000 BAe Hawk) a later US offer
of 4 Northrop F-5E, 2 Northrop
F-5F and 60
AIM9-P-3 Sidewinders was accepted and a firm order placed in February
1982. Ten US government and three
US
contractor personnel were involved for technical support and to train
local technicians and pilots for 2
years, at a total
cost of USD 14 millions. A second contract, valued USD 92 million, was
placed during
Februray 1985, again for 4 F-5E and 2 F-5E plus 15 spare General Electric J-85
engines.
New infrastructure to operate the fighters had to be built, pilots were
to be trained and an early warning radar system, part of a Golf Coordination Council regional integrated air
defence system, had to be established.
Some helicopter pilots
underwent advanced training with the Royal Saudi AF and joning Saudi
units to gain further experience, while others were sent to the USA to follow an
advanced weapons and
tactics course on F-5 at Williams AFB with the
425th Tactical Flying Training Sqn.
By March 1987seven pilots had also undergone air-to-air training at
General
Electric's Center for Advanced Airmanship at Phoenix, Arizona (a private fighter pilots training
company). This
course included emergency and hostile situations, comprising 20 hours of simulator experience.
Finally, Bahrain enterd the jet age in October 1985 with the acceptance of the first Tiger. Delivery started on December 1985: 2 Northrop F-5E (serials 681/682) and 2 Northrop F-5F (serials 641/642) were air delivered, via Keflavik, Prestwick (arrival December 6th), Alconbury, Nice, Kerkira, Tabuk to Manama International Airport; next were F-5E 683/684 and F-5F 643/644, transiting Prestwick on September 12th, 1986 and departing Alconbury on September 16th 1986; F-5E 685/686 followed on December 8th 1986 at Prestwick and F-5E 687/688 on January 21st, 1987, again at Prestwick .
Photo:
Archives Northrop
F-5 Enthusiast
F-5E 683, 684 with F-5F 643 resting on the Prestwick
apron on September 12th, 1986
Starting in 1987 a new Air Base, called Shaikh Isa AB, was built in the South of Bahrain's main Sintra Island at
a cost of USD 100 million, to accomodate the fighters, provisionally based at Manama International Airport, on
the island of Muharraq, a former Royal Air Force base. This was completed by May 1990.
The base also housed 8 Lockheed-Marting F-16C Block 40 and 4 Lockheed-Martin F-16D Block 40, the first having arrived on 23-05-90 to supplement the Northrop fighters.
The 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Fighting Sharks" (Serials page code:
6 Sqd) was formed on arrival of the first F-5s, at Manama International
Airport, moving in June 1989,upon completion of the base,to Shaikh Isa AB
6th Tactical Fighter Squadron badge is not available
Close co-operation was arranged with the Royal Saudi Air Force regarding pilot training (training up to F-5 level),
the use of Saudi air space (due to the very limited Bahraini air space - 128 by 64 kms) and the use of nearby
Saudi bombing ranges to practise live firing of air-to-ground and air-to-air weaponry.
F-5F serial 644 1994 with Bahraini Amiri AF titles and rocket launcher - Photo: Northrop F-5 Enthusiast archives
F-5E 685 with Royal Bahraini AF titles July 2004 - Photo: The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast collection
WAR OPERATIONS
Baptism of fire for the newly established Squadron came with "Desert Storm" war against Iraq occupying Kuwait.
The F-5s carried from January 26th 1991 interdiction missions out - around three to four per day, often teamed with Bahraini F-16s, acting as escort fighters. BAAF F-5s attacked a wide range of Iraqi targets in Kuwait, including radar and communication sites, artillery positions and Silkworm missile sites with 500 lbs Mk82 bombs, totalling 127 combat sorties without losses.
REPLACEMENT
A rather unusual deal was proposed by the US Navy during April 1995. Eighteen former aggressor Lockheed-Martin F-16N and TF-16N, withdrawn from use during 1994, were to be exchanged against 12 Bahraini F-5s, but Bahrain preferred to buy 10 new Lockheed-Martin F-16C/F-16Ds Block 40, keeping its Northrop F-5s.
EXERCISES/TRAINING
Normal operation started after the Gulf war, including participation to multinational exercises, like "Peninsula Tiger 2" in Qatar in January 2001, with the partecipation of 5 Bahraini F-5s, 5 Omani Hawks, 6 Saudi F-15s, 5 Kuwaiti F-18s, 6 United Arab Emirates Mirage 2000, Qatari Mirage 2000s and Alpha Jets.
The same year saw for Bahraini Northrop F-5s and General Dynamics F-16s the exceptional opportunity to exercise against US Navy F-14 Tomcats assigned to Fighter Squadron (VF) 32.
Continous yearly exercises are held involving forces belonging to members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, like "Peninsula Hawk" and "Gulf Spears".
Northrop F-5s have been continously upgraded and optimised for the ground attack role, including anti-shipping, while dissimilar air combat training is often flown against local F-16s. Additionally they have at present a useful training commitment; Tiger pilots fly at least 300 hours before being taken into consideration for conversion to the F-16C/D of the 1st or 2nd Fighter Squadron at Sheikh Isa AB.
American direct contract (not USAF) pilots are attached to the 6th Squadron and perform Instructor Pilot duties.
The 6th Fighter Squadron participated also to the 14th "Initial Link" exercise from the 11th till the 22nd May 2008, together with Bharaini F-16s from the 1st and 2nd Squadron plus Saudi AF BAE Tornado IDS (83 Squadron), McDonnell F-15C (13 Squadron), Kuwait AF F/A18C (25 Squadron), Quatar AF Mirage 2000-5 (7 Squadron), UAE AF F-16E (1/2 Squadron).
Northrop F-5s are also used as fighter Lead-in trainers for new pilots coming from basic training on BAe Hawk and proceding to the Lockheed-Martin F-16.
INFORMATION
NEEDED
Arabic name
Any additional information/correction.