Qatar Armed Forces

The Qatar Armed Forces (Arabic: القوات المسلحة القطرية, romanized: Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Qatariyyah) are the military forces of the State of Qatar. Since 2015, Qatar has implemented mandatory military conscription with an average of 2,000 graduates per year. As of 2010, Qatar's defence expenditures added up to a total of $1.913 billion, about 1.5% of the national GDP, according to the SIPRI. Qatar has recently signed defence pacts with the United States in 2002 and 2013, with the United Kingdom in 2020, and with France in 1994. Qatar plays an active role in the collective defense efforts of the Gulf Cooperation Council; the other five members are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and Oman. Qatar also hosts the largest American military base in the Middle East and in 2017 inaugurated a military attache office in Washington. SIPRI states that Qatar's plans to transform and significantly enlarge its armed forces have accelerated in 2014, and in 2010-14 Qatar was the 46th largest arms importer in the world. Orders in 2013 for 562 tanks and 75 self-propelled guns from Germany were followed in 2014 by a number of other contracts, including 34 combat helicopters and 3 AEW aircraft from the US, and 6 tanker aircraft from Spain. As of 2016, Qatar maintains advanced anti-air and anti-ship capabilities with deliveries of Patriot PAC-3 MSE batteries, Exocet MM40 Block 3 and Marte ER anti-ship missiles. Reports indicate that between 2014 and 2024, Qatar significantly enhanced its military capabilities, with defense spending rising by 434%. These accounts also suggest that a substantial portion of the arms trade during this period was marred by corruption, including instances of bribery. On 8 November 2024, for the first time a NATO military committee visited Qatar's military education and training facilities.