Kuwait Army

Kuwait Land Forces
Kuwait Land Forces
Country	Kuwait
Branch	Military of Kuwait
Type	Land force
Size	25,000 personnel
Garrison/HQ	Kuwait City
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	Kuwait–Najd War Battle of Hamdh; Battle of Jahra; ; Battle of Al-Regeai; Operation Vantage, part of Iraq–Kuwait relations; Six-Day War; War of Attrition; 1973 Samita border skirmish; 1973 October War; State of Kuwait Embassy Protection (1975–1990); Iran–Iraq War; Invasion of Kuwait Battle of the Bridges; Battle of Dasman Palace; ; Operation Desert Storm; Operation Southern Watch; 1994 October Crisis; Operation Desert Strike; Operation Desert Fox; War on Terror Iraq War; ; 2015 military intervention in Yemen;
Decorations	Military awards and decorations
Commanders
Assistant Chief Combat Commander of Kuwait Land Force	Land Force Commander
Notable; commanders	Mubarak Al-Sabah; Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalhami

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.

In 1990 and 1991, during the first Gulf War, most of the equipment was seized and or destroyed by invading Iraqi forces. At that time the Kuwait military was a lot smaller.

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

Equipment[]

Kuwaiti M-84AB tanks parading on 25 and 26 February 2011 with members of the 34 nations coalition force partners; celebrations that marked the 50th anniversary of the Independence, the 20th anniversary of Liberation and the 5th anniversary of the ascendance of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the leadership of the State of Kuwait.

Armored fighting vehicles[]

Name	Type	Quantity	Country of origin	Notes
M1A2 Abrams	Main battle tank	218	United States
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	~200	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	260	United States	230 M113A2, 30 M577 (CP)
M577	Armoured personnel carrier	30	United States	the Kuwait Army operates 30 M577 Command Post Vehicles, mostly M577A1s. Following the 1991 Gulf War a number of M577A3s were purchased from the U.S. to replace vehicles destroyed by Iraqis forces.
Fahd 240	Armoured personnel carrier	60	Egypt	Second largest operator in 1988. The Fahd was used by the Kuwaiti side during the invasion of Kuwait, when it lost most of them. Kuwait received more units in 1994, and had most of its captured units returned by Iraq in 1995. =>^[2]
M88A2 Hercules	Armoured recovery vehicle	14	United States	14× M88A2 in service with the Kuwait Army.
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	unkown	United States	Vehicles sold via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program

Self-propelled field artillery[]

Kuwati BM-30 Smerch MLRS firing during a training exercise in 2021

Name	Type	Quantity	Country of origin	Notes
PLZ-45	Self-propelled howitzer	51	China	(51) 27 PLZ-45s (to form a training platoon and the first battalion) ordered in 1998 and delivered in 2000–2001. 24 more howitzers (to form the second battalion) were ordered in 2001 and delivered in 2002–2003.
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	400	United States	—
M966/M966A1	TOW missile carrier	900	United States
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

Small arms[]

Name	Type	Caliber	Country of origin	Notes
Beretta 92	Semi-automatic pistol	9×19mm Parabellum	Italy
Browning HP	Semi-automatic pistol		Belgium
CAR-15	Carbine	5.56×45mm NATO	United States
FN MAG	General-purpose machine gun	7.62×51mm NATO	Belgium
HK MP5	Submachine gun	9×19mm Parabellum	Germany
M16A2	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	United States	Standard issue rifle.
M4 carbine	Carbine	5.56×45mm NATO	United States
M60 machine gun	General-purpose machine gun	7.62×51mm NATO	United States	Often mounted on vehicles.

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[]

Rank group	General/flag officers										Field/senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Kuwait Army v t
Kuwait Army v t			فريق أول‎‎ Fariq 'awal		فريق Fariq		لواء Liwa		عميد		عقيد		مقدم Muqaddam		رائد		نقيب		ملازم أول Mulazim awwal			ملازم Mulazim

Enlisted[]

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Kuwait Army v t																																			No insignia
Kuwait Army v t	وكيل أول Wakil 'awal						وكيل Wakil		رقيب أول Raqib 'awal		رقیب Raqib												عريف Earif						جندي أول Jundiun awwal						جندي Jundiun‎‎‎‎

References[]

^ Enein, Youssef H. Aboul (May–June 2004). "A History of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces". Military Review. 84 (3).^{[dead link]}
^ John Pike (22 April 2013). "Kuwait – Army Equipment". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
^ Army Recognition. "World Defence News: Rheinmetall of Germany contract to supply 12 Fuchs 2 NBC 6x6 reconnaissance vehicles to Kuwait". worlddefencenews.blogspot.com.

External links[]

[1] Enein, Youssef H. Aboul (May–June 2004). "A History of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces". Military Review. 84 (3).^{[dead link]}

[John_Pike-2] John Pike (22 April 2013). "Kuwait – Army Equipment". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 24 March 2014.

[3] Army Recognition. "World Defence News: Rheinmetall of Germany contract to supply 12 Fuchs 2 NBC 6x6 reconnaissance vehicles to Kuwait". worlddefencenews.blogspot.com.

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