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Royal Saudi Air Force (Saudi Arabia)

Last modified: 2023-02-02 by ian macdonald
Keywords: air force ensign | astrolabe | swords: 2 (white) | palmtree | roundel |
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See also:

Air Force Ensign and War Flag

[Air Force Ensign] image by António Martins-Tuválkin and Miles Li, 9 July 2009

The Flags of all Nations chart [man36] shows a light blue flag with the National flag as a canton, with the Saudi roundel for the Air Force.
Nick Artimovich, 29 April 1996

The current version has a smaller canton.
Miles Li, 9 July 2009

Standard

[Air Force Ensign] image located by Dave Fowler, 23 June 2020

A different badge is shown on images of the RSAF flag on Wikipedia.
Dave Fowler, 23 June 2020

The Royal Saudi Air Force has its roots in the Kingdom of Hejaz's military forces, where the "القوات الجوية الحجازية" (English: Hejaz Air Force) was the "سلاح الطيران لجيش مملكة الحجاز " (English: Air Force of the Army of the Kingdom of Hejaz), meaning the Air Force was a Branch of the Army of the Kingdom of Hejaz, operational throughout the Kingdom's existence (1916-1925) (some sources suggest June 1920 as either the operational entry date or the formal establishment of the Branch within the Army). Then, with the emergence of the Kingdom of Hejaz and Najd (1926-1932) the Air Force became part of that State as "قوة الطيران الحجازية النجدية" (English: Hejaz Najd Aviation Force ), established on January 8, 1926. With the establishment (unification) of the new Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on September 23, 1932, the Royal Saudi
Air Force was established, formally being organized on November 16, 1952 within the Ministry of Defense, toghether with the establishment of all the Armed Forces.

Source: http://www.moqatel.com/openshare/Behoth/Askria6/gawiaSaudi/sec01.doc_cvt.htm,
https://www.my.gov.sa/wps/portal/snp/agencies/agencyDetails/AC046
https://www.linkedin.com/company/royal-saudi-air-force
https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/
https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/
https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/
https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/
https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Regarding the flags, the Royal Saudi Air Force's 1938-1973 flag (not displayed on FOTW) features the 1938-1973 country's flag on the canton, which has the Shahadda inscription much bigger than its latter form.

For additional information go to RSAF (official website): http://rsaf.gov.sa/
Esteban Rivera, 9 January 2023


Former Air Force Ensign

The former ensign displayed the 1938 flag in the canton.
Esteban Rivera, 9 January 2023


Air Force Roundel

[Air Force Roundel (Saudi Arabia)] image by Joseph McMillan and Eugene Ipavec, 25 February 2012

The roundel is (from outside) green-white-green and shows the emblem  (white palm over two white crossed swords) in the central green panel. The fin flash is the national flag. This can be seen on a photograph of a Hawk jet trainer from Jane's Defence Weekly [1]. However, the shahada  and sword are filling the field much more than on the flag as we show it. A silly mistake can be found on the decal sheet for a scale model of the Lightning figther aircraft [2] that was also used by the Saudi air force. For the one side the decals show a (more or less) correct Saudi flag, for the other side, however, the whole thing mirrored, so that the writing can't be read.

[Air Force Roundel (Saudi Arabia)] image by M. Schmöger, 26 February 2007

[scan of decal sheet (Saudi Arabia)] image by M. Schmöger, 26 February 2007

Sources:
[1] Jane's Defence Weekly 1987, vol. 8, iss. 7, p. 307;  (see scanned image above)
[2] Tamiya 1/100 scale model kit of B.A.C. Lightning F.Mk.6, about mid 1980ies.
M. Schmöger, 26 February 2007

The Saudi Arabian Air Force uses a green-white-green roundel with the figures from the coat of arms in white in the centre.
Source: Taschenhandbuch der Militärflugzeuge, David DONALD (ISBN: 3-89880-122-5) p.182
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 March 2009