Armed Forces of the Republic of the Congo

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The Armed Forces of the Republic of the Congo (French: Forces armées de la République du Congo), also less formally denoted as the Forces armées congolaises or its acronym FAC, are the military forces of the Republic of the Congo. They consist of the Congolese Army, the Congolese Air Force, the  [fr], and the  [fr]. The dissolution of French Equatorial Africa in 1958, and France's impending military withdrawal from the Congo in August 1960, provided the impetuous for the formation of the FAC. The FAC and state paramilitary agencies are headed by an Armed Forces Chief of General Staff, usually appointed by the President of the Republic of the Congo. Major General has served as chief of staff since 2012.

History[]

The Congolese military was created on January 16, 1961, and reflected the nature of the colonial security forces, which recruited among the country's northern ethnic groups and were staffed by junior Bakongo officers and a handful of French senior commissioned officers. President Alphonse Massamba-Débat, who seized power in 1963, expelled all the French personnel and sidelined the military in favor of independent political militias, which were trained by Cuban troops. The militias and the Congo's civil defense corps were later integrated with the FAC as the Armée Nationale Populaire.

Under the People's Republic of the Congo, the FAC was again reorganized, with Mbochi career soldiers making up the bulk of the new officer corps; its effectiveness and standards, however, were gradually eroded by draconian political purges throughout the 1970s. A second major setback occurred during the 1990s, when mass desertions led to many FAC officers and enlisted troops joining regional militias. The FAC was reformed for the third time after the Second Congo War, incorporating many former rebels and militia combatants.

On 5 February 2012, there were munitions explosions at a tank regiment (seemingly 'Regiment Blinde') barracks located in Brazzaville's fifth arrondissement, Ouenzé. Some 206 people were initially reported killed. There are five military barracks in the city, and after the explosion officials said the government had promised to move all munitions out of the capital.^[2]

Army[]

Infantry weapons[]

Model	Image	Origin	Notes
Pistols
Walther PP[3]		Germany
TT pistol[3]		Soviet Union
Submachine guns
MAT-49[3]		France
Assault rifles
AKM[3]		Soviet Union
AK-47[3]		Soviet Union
Battle rifles
FN FAL[3]		Belgium
Machine guns
RPK[3]		Soviet Union
RPD[3]		Soviet Union
RP-46[3]		Soviet Union
DShK[3]		Soviet Union
Recoilless rifles
M18[4]		United States
Anti-tank weapons
RPG-7[3]		Soviet Union
ZiS-2		Soviet Union	5 in service.[4]
M-1944		Soviet Union	10 in service.[4]

Armoured fighting vehicles[]

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Quantity	Notes
Tanks
T-54/T-55		Soviet Union	Main battle tank	25[4]
Type 59		China	Main battle tank	15[4]
PT-76		Soviet Union	Light tank	3[4]
Type 62		China	Light tank	10[4]
Reconnaissance vehicles
BRDM-1		Soviet Union	Scout car	25[4]
BRDM-2		Soviet Union	Scout car
Armoured personnel carriers
ZFB-05		China	Armoured personnel carrier	14[5]
AT105 Saxon		United Kingdom	Armoured personnel carrier	28[4]
BTR-152		Soviet Union	Armoured personnel carrier	20[4]
BTR-60		Soviet Union	Armoured personnel carrier	30[4]
Panhard M3		France	Armoured personnel carrier	9[5]
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected
Mamba		South Africa	MRAP	18[4]
Marauder		South Africa	MRAP	37[4]

Artillery[]

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Quantity	Notes
Self-propelled artillery
2S1 Gvozdika		Soviet Union	122mm self-propelled howitzer	3[4]
Towed artillery
D-30		Soviet Union	122mm towed howitzer	10[4]
M-46		Soviet Union	130mm towed howitzer	5[4]
D-20		Soviet Union	152mm towed howitzer	8[5]
Multiple rocket launcher
BM-21 Grad		Soviet Union	122mm multiple rocket launcher	10[4]
BM-14		Soviet Union	140mm multiple rocket launcher	Unknown[4]
BM-16		Soviet Union	140mm multiple rocket launcher	Unknown[4]
Mortar
M-41		Soviet Union	82mm mortar	Unknown[4]
M-43		Soviet Union	120mm mortar	28[4]

Air defense[]

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Quantity	Notes
Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun
ZSU-23-4 Shilka		Soviet Union	23mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun	8[5]
Towed anti-aircraft gun
ZPU		Soviet Union	14.5mm towed anti-aircraft gun	Unknown[4]	Includes ZPU-2 and ZPU-4.[4]
M-1939		Soviet Union	37mm towed anti-aircraft gun	28[4]
S-60		Soviet Union	57mm towed anti-aircraft gun	Unknown[4]
KS-19		Soviet Union	100mm towed anti-aircraft gun	4[5]

Navy[]

Congolese sailors aboard the USS Forrest Sherman.

The Navy has around 800 personnel. In October 2007, the US Navy provided some training to Congolese Navy personnel in Pointe-Noire, a port city that is the second largest settlement in the country.^[6]

As of 2016 it was commanded by Rear Admiral Andre Bouagnabea-Moundanza.^[7]

As of 2019 the Navy operates a single Mil Mi-14 helicopter.^[8]

Air Force[]

Roundel of the Congolese Air Force

After achieving independence from France in 1960, the Congolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Congolaise) was started with equipment such as the Douglas C-47s, Broussards and Bell 47Gs, these were followed by Nord Noratlas tactical transports and Sud Alouette helicopter. In the 1970s the air force switched to Soviet equipment. This included five Ilyushin IL-14 and six turboprop Antonov An-24 transports and an An-26 in return for providing bases for Cuban MiG-17 operations over Angola. These fighters and a few MiG-15UTI combat trainers were transferred to the FAC. In 1990 these fighter were replaced by 16 USSR supplied MiG-21MF/bis Fishbeds plus a couple of MiG-21US trainers. Together with a Soviet training mission which stayed until late 1991, during that time there were numerous accidents that involved both Soviet and Congolese personnel. After the Soviets left there was only limited funding for MiG operations and they were withdrawn. Six Mi-8 helicopters were delivered from Ukraine in mid-1997 before the Cobra rebel takeover.

In 1990, the Air Force was reformed into its present state. Most fighter aircraft it possessed were scrapped in 2001. France and China provided most training to the Air Force in recent times.

See the article Congolese Air Force for current inventory.

References[]

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document: "2003 edition".