Qatari Emiri Navy

The Qatari Emiri Navy (QEN), also called the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces (QENF), is the naval branch of the armed forces of the State of Qatar.

The State of Qatar did not possess any ships originally upon gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1971, but by 1992 the country's armed forces had grown considerably, and included a navy of about 700 personnel. Three La Combattante III missile boats from France formed the core of the Qatari fleet in the 1990s, later seeing the addition of six Vosper Thornycroft large patrol boats. By 2010 it increased in size to about 1,800 personnel, and has taken part in multiple naval exercises with the United States Navy and other countries.

Unable to support a large military, Qatar relies on a smaller mobile force that can quickly repel incursions into its territorial waters. However, the Iran–Iraq War saw attacks on shipping just outside the country's territorial waters, underscoring its vulnerability. Despite the expansion the Qatar Emiri Navy remains too under-manned, under-trained, and under-equipped to be able to effectively defend its waters as well as the commercial assets in it. The Qatar Navy includes its coast guard, marine police and coastal artillery.

Qatar Coast Guard racing stripe: