Mongolian Ground Force

An honor guard salutes during the welcoming ceremonies for Air Force General Richard B. Myers, who became the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to visit Mongolia, January 2004.

A Mongolian soldier performs during the opening ceremony for exercise Khaan Quest 2013 at the Five Hills Training Area in Mongolia, August 2013.

At present Mongolia's armed forces have become more compact and professional since obligatory military service was replaced with the alternative between military and other service. The ground force, a core of the armed forces, are the main force to defend the country by military means. In peacetime, the ground force direct their activities toward ensuring the mobilization readiness of the Mongolian Armed Forces, providing military training for the population, forming personnel resources, and organizing the maintenance, protection and servicing of military equipment and material reserves. Depending on the organizational specifics of military units and organizations, the ground force are divided into combat, on-combat-duty, training, training combat, and stockpile and service units.

As a result of reform processes started in 1997, units of the Mongolian Armed Forces were reorganized into a brigade-battalion system. In peacetime, sub-units of brigades have a mixed personnel organization (i.e. of constant combat readiness, training, and under strength). In 2016, the General Purpose Force was renamed to its current name of Ground Force of the Armed Forces.

The 016 Mechanised Brigade has been reported as the oldest formation of the Mongolian army, stationed at Sergelen near Ulaanbaatar.[3]

In 1997 the Mongolian Armed Forces had in service 650 tanks, 120 light armored reconnaissance vehicles, 400 armored infantry fighting vehicles, 300 armored personnel carriers, 300 towed artillery, 130 multiple rocket launchers, 140 mortars, and 200 anti-tank guns.

Mongolia deployed its troops to peacekeeping operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with 1970s Soviet-bloc weapons, transportation, and equipment. Although Mongolian troops are highly skilled with using these weapons and equipment, they are not interoperable with the rest of the coalition members. Except for the United States-provided Harris Corporation communications equipment, Mongolia had no other equipment which was interoperable.

From January 14 to 18 in 2008, Chief of the General Staff of the MAF Lieutenant General Tsevegsuren Togoo signed an agreement for acquisition of equipment and vehicles from Russia for 120 million US dollars during his official visit to Moscow, Russia.

Peacekeeping missions

Afghan National Army (ANA) artillerymen are advised by Mongolian soldiers during a training exercise May 2010 as they (ANA artillery soldiers) go through a 3-week course that trains them on command and control of heavy weapons and artillery at Kabul Military Training Center.

Mongolian armed forces are performing peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Congo, Eritrea, Western Sahara, and Afghanistan, and with the United Nations Mission in Liberia. In 2005 and 2006, Mongolian troops also served as part of the Belgian KFOR contingent in Kosovo. From 2009 the Mongolian Armed Forces deploying its largest peace keeping mission to Chad and the government is planning to deploy its first fully self-sufficient UN mission there in mid-2011.

Mongolian soldiers salute while the Mongolian flag waves at the Transit Center at Manas, where they stayed for several days before moving forward to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom.

Members of the Mongolian Expeditionary Task Force 1 stand in formation for Mongolian Army Day at Camp Eggers, Afghanistan. Mongolian Army Day is an annual event that has occurred since 1921.

Members of the Mongolian Armed Forces and Internal Forces practice crowd control techniques as a part of Non-Lethal Weapons Executive Seminar 2010 at 5 Hills Training Facility, Mongolia, June 2010.

Mongolian Powerstar truck in Mongolian military service.

The Ground Force possesses over 470 tanks, 650 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, 500 mobile anti-aircraft weapons, more than 700 artillery and mortar and other military equipment. Most of them are old Soviet Union-made models designed between the late 1950s to early 1980s; there are a smaller number of newer models designed in post-Soviet Russia.

Name	Origin	Type	Quantity	Notes
Tanks
T-54/55	Soviet Union	Main battle tank	370[4]
T-72	Soviet Union		100[5]
Infantry fighting vehicles
BMP-1	Soviet Union	Infantry fighting vehicle	310[4]
BMP-2	Russia	Infantry fighting vehicle	100
Armored cars
BRDM-2	Soviet Union	Amphibious armored scout car	120[4]
Armored personnel carriers
BTR-60	Soviet Union	Armored personnel carrier	150[4][5]	Most of them are BTR-60PBs.
BTR-70			50[6]
BTR-80[7]	Russia		20[5]
Multiple rocket launchers
BM-21 Grad	Soviet Union	122 mm multiple rocket launcher	130[4]
Towed artillery
D-30 D-44 M-30 M-46 ML-20	Soviet Union	122 mm howitzer 85 mm divisional gun 122 mm howitzer 130 mm towed field gun 152 mm howitzer gun	300[4]
Mortars
BM-37 PM-43 M-160	Soviet Union	82 mm caliber mortar 120 mm caliber smoothbore mortar 160 mm divisional mortar	140[4]
Anti-tank gun
SPG-9 D-48 BS-3 T-12	Soviet Union	73 mm anti-tank gun 85 mm anti-tank gun 100 mm field gun 100 mm anti-tank gun	200[4]

Infantry weapons

Name	Image	Origin	Cartridge	Notes
Semi-automatic pistols
TT		Soviet Union	7.62×25mm Tokarev	In storage[8]
PM		Soviet Union	9×18mm Makarov	Standard issue pistol[8]
PSM		Soviet Union	5.45×18mm	Special military use[8]
Submachine guns
PP-93		Russia	9×18mm Makarov	Used by special forces[9][10]
Assault rifles
AK-47		Soviet Union	7.62×39mm	[8]
AKM		Soviet Union	7.62×39mm	Standard issue rifle[8]
AKMS		Soviet Union	7.62×39mm	Used by armored crews and support troops[8]
AK-74		Soviet Union	5.45×39mm	Used by special forces[8]
AKS-74U		Soviet Union	5.45×39mm	Used by special forces[8]
9A-91		Russia	9×39mm	Used by special forces[8]
IMI Galil		Israel	5.56×45mm NATO	Used by special forces[8]
IWI Tavor		Israel	5.56×45mm NATO	Used by special forces
HK G36		Germany	5.56×45mm NATO	Used by special forces
M4 carbine		United States	5.56×45mm NATO	To replace the AK-47 and AKM[8]
Machine guns
RPD		Soviet Union	7.62×39mm	[8]
RPK		Soviet Union	7.62×39mm	[8]
SG-43		Soviet Union	7.62×54mmR	[8]
PKM		Soviet Union	7.62×54mmR	[8]
DShK		Soviet Union	12.7×108mm	[8]
NSV		Soviet Union	12.7×108mm	[8]
Semi-automatic rifles
SKS		Soviet Union	7.62×39mm	Used by honor guards[11]
Designated marksman rifles
SVD		Soviet Union	7.62×54mm	[12]
VSK-94		Russia	9×39mm	Used by special forces[13]
IMI Gala'tz		Israel	7.62×51mm NATO	Used by special forces[13]
Grenade launchers
RG-6		Russia	40 mm caseless grenade	Used by special forces[13]
GM-94			43×30mm	Used by special forces[13]
Rocket-propelled grenades
RPG-7		Soviet Union		[8]

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook website https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html.
• World aircraft information files Bright Star Publishing London File 332 Sheet 3

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Military of Mongolia.

• General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces (in Mongolian)
• Ministry of Defense (in Mongolian)
• General Intelligence Agency
• Photographic report on the Military Parade for the honor of National Flag of Mongolia, 2011