Kuwait Army
Kuwait Land Forces | |
---|---|
Country |
|
Branch | Military of Kuwait |
Type | Land force |
Size | 30,000 personnel approximately |
Garrison/HQ | Desert of Kuwait |
Nickname(s) | His Highness Land Force |
Motto(s) |
الله والوطن والامير God, Country & The Emir |
Colors | Green & Red |
Anniversaries | National and Liberation Day (25 and 26 February) |
Engagements |
|
Decorations | Arab and non-Arab Military awards and decorations |
Commanders | |
Assistant Chief Combat Commander of Kuwait Land Force | Land Force Commander |
The Kuwait Army, established in 1949, is the oldest armed branch among the military of Kuwait.[1] Its cavalry and infantry predecessors operated in desert and metropolitan areas in 1919, 1920 and 1928 to 1938, tracing their roots directly to the cavalrymen and infantrymen that defended Al-Kout Fortress since the 19th century along with various mounted defensive forces. The "Kuwait Army" was later established as the Kuwait Land Force, which became the principal land force of the Kuwait Armed Forces.
History
The Kuwait Army was created in 1949 by Field Marshal Sheikh Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah (1949–1961) during the time when its partnership was included part of the Directorate of Public Security Force in 1938 prior to splitting in 1953. As Sheikh Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah headed the Directorate of Public Security Force which included the Kuwait Army; the later, was headed by deputy commander Colonel Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Structure and organization
- Kuwait 6th Liberation Mechanized Brigade
- Kuwait 15th Mubarak Armored Brigade
- Kuwait 26th Al-Soor Mechanized Brigade
- Kuwait 35th Shahid (Martyr) Armored Brigade
- Kuwait 94th Saleh Al-Mohammed Mechanized Brigade
- Kuwait 25th Commando Brigade (Independent)
- Kuwait Emiri Guard Authority (Independent)
- Kuwait Military Police Authority (Independent)
- Kuwait Military Fire Service Directorate
Part of equipment
Armored fighting vehicles
Name | Type | Quantity | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
M1A2 Abrams | Main Battle Tank | 418 | United States | Delivered between 1994–97, to be upgraded |
M-84AB | Main Battle Tank | 149 | Yugoslavia | 200 Ordered 1989 and 15 in service by 1990 |
Desert Warrior | Infantry Fighting Vehicle | 254 | United Kingdom | 236 with 25 mm gun, 18 APC. in 2009 Kuwait Upgraded the fire control system, (GITS II) hardware, Improved Thermal Sight System and 2nd Generation Forward-Looking Infrared Radar |
BMP-3 | Infantry Fighting Vehicle | 245 | Soviet Union | 142 delivered in 1994–1997. A new contract was signed in 2009 for 70 BMP-3M delivered in 2010-2011. another Contract was signed in 2014 for 33 more, Executed on 30 September 2015. |
BMP-2 | Infantry Fighting Vehicle | 76 | Soviet Union | 245 delivered between 1989–90 and 46 delivered between 1994–95, 76 in service as of 2005 |
M113A2 | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 80 | United States | Active |
M577 | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 30 | United States | Command post vehicle |
Fahd 240 | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 60 | Egypt | First delivered in 1988. not clear how many are in service =>[2] |
M88A2 Hercules | Armoured Recovery Vehicle | 14 | United States | — |
M-84AI | Armoured Recovery Vehicle | 15 | Poland, Yugoslavia | Polish WZT-3 built under license by Yugoslavia as M-84AI |
Fuchs 2 NBC-RS | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 0 | Germany | NBC vehicle, 12 on order[3] |
Logistics and utility vehicles
Name | Type | Quantity | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Humvee | Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle | 2300 | United States | — |
Self-propelled field artillery
Name | Type | Quantity | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
PLZ-45 | Self-propelled howitzer | 75 | China | 27 delivered 2000–01, 24 between 2002–03 and 24 ordered 2003 |
M-109A1B | Self-propelled howitzer | 23 | United States | Withdrawn from service |
Multiple launch rocket systems
Name | Type | Quantity | Country of
Origin |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
BM-30 Smerch | Multiple rocket launcher | 27 | Russia | Purchased 1995–96 |
Anti-tank
Name | Type | Quantity | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
RPG-7 | Rocket-propelled grenade | Soviet Union | — | |
TOW M-901 | Anti-tank guided weapon | 8 | United States | — |
M966/M966A1 | TOW Missile Carrier | 66 | United States | TOW Missile Carrier |
TOW II | Anti-tank guided weapon | 82 launchers | United States | — |
AT-5 Spandrel | Anti-tank guided weapon | 2402 Missiles | Soviet Union | |
AT-4 Spigot | Anti-tank guided weapon | 4601 Missiles | Soviet Union | — |
AT-10 | Anti-tank guided weapon | 1250 Missiles | Russia | — |
9M133 Kornet | Anti-tank guided weapon | Russia | ||
Carl Gustav M3 | Recoilless rifle | 200 | Sweden | |
Kuwait Army Ranks
His Highness, the Emir of Kuwait: Commander-in-chief of the Military of Kuwait (Arabic: القائد الأعلى للقوات المسلحة الكويتية)
His Highness, the Crown Prince of Kuwait: Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Military of Kuwait (Arabic: نائب القائد الأعلى للقوات المسلحة الكويتية)
Commissioned Officers
Equivalent NATO code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) and student officer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(Edit) |
No equivalent | No equivalent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
General (فريق أول) |
Lieutenant General (فريق) |
Major General (لواء) |
Brigadier General (عميد) |
Colonel (عقيد) |
Lieutenant Colonel (مقدم) |
Major (رائد) |
Captain (نقيب) |
First Lieutenant (ملازم أول) |
Second Lieutenant (ملازم) |
Enlisted
Equivalent NATO Code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(Edit) |
No equivalent | No equivalent | No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chief Warrant Officer وکیل اول |
Warrant Officer وکیل |
Sergeant First Class رقیب اول |
Sergeant رقیب |
Corporal عریف |
Private 1st Class وکیل عریف |
Private جندي |
See also
References
- ↑ "A History of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces". Military Review. 84 (3). May–June 2004. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
|first1=
missing|last1=
in Authors list (help) – via Questia (subscription required) - ↑ John Pike (2013-04-22). "Kuwait – Army Equipment". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
- ↑ Army Recognition. "World Defence News: Rheinmetall of Germany contract to supply 12 Fuchs 2 NBC 6x6 reconnaissance vehicles to Kuwait". worlddefencenews.blogspot.com.