List of equipment of the Tunisian Army

This is a list of equipment used by the Tunisian Army.

Current equipment[]

Small arms[]

Name	Image	Caliber	Type	Origin	Notes
Pistols
Browning HP-35		9×19mm Parabellum	Semi-automatic pistol	Belgium	Standard service pistol
Beretta M1951		9×19mm Parabellum	Semi-automatic pistol	Italy	Limited use or possibly no longer in service
Submachine guns
Heckler & Koch MP5		9×19mm Parabellum	Submachine gun	Germany	Used by special forces units.
Beretta M12		9×19mm Parabellum	Submachine gun	Italy	In use also within police and national guard
Shotguns
Franchi SPAS-15		12 gauge	Shotgun	Italy
Rifles
Steyr AUG		5.56×45mm NATO	Assault rifle	Austria	Steyr AUG A1 is standard issue assault rifle since 1978. Steyr AUG A2 and Steyr AUG A3 in use by special forces units
M4 carbine		5.56×45mm NATO	Carbine	United States	Used by special forces units, and probably in the way to replace Steyr AUG as it is seen with regular army units.
M16 rifle		5.56×45mm NATO	Assault rifle	United States	Limited service rifle. Used by special forces units.
AKM		7.62×39mm	Assault rifle	Soviet Union	Used by Saharian territory infantry units.
Type 56		7.62×39mm	Assault rifle	China	Used by Saharian territory infantry units.
FN FAL		7.62×51mm NATO	Battle rifle	Belgium	No longer in use within the army. In limited use with national guard
Machine guns
FN Minimi		5.56×45mm NATO	Squad automatic weapon	Belgium	Used as a squad automatic weapon by infantry.
FN MAG		7.62×51mm NATO	General-purpose machine gun	Belgium	Used by infantry as general-purpose machine gun and by Tunisian Air Force mounted on helicopters
M60		7.62×51mm NATO	General-purpose machine gun	United States	Standard general-purpose machine gun. Variants include M60E6
MG 3		7.62×51mm NATO	General-purpose machine gun	Germany
M2 Browning		12.7×99mm NATO	Heavy machine gun	United States	Heavy support machine gun used on tripod or mounted on vehicles.
M1919 Browning		7.62×63mm NATO	Heavy machine gun	United States	Limited use
Sniper rifles
Steyr SSG 69		7.62×51mm NATO	Sniper rifle	Austria	Standard service sniper rifle.
Barrett M82		12.7×99mm NATO	Anti-materiel precision rifle	United States	Used by special forces units.
Grenade launchers
M203		40 mm	Grenade launcher	United States	Grenade launcher coupled on Steyr AUG and M4.
Mk 19		40 mm	Automatic grenade launcher	United States	Heavy support grenade launcher mounted on vehicles.

Artillery[]

Name	Image	Type	Number	Origin	Notes
Towed artillery
M198		155mm towed howitzer	57[1]	United States	Main artillery piece equiping 3 artillery battalions each attached to an Infantry Mechanized Brigade Heavily deployed during Chaambi Operations Delivered on 1989
M101A1 howitzer		105mm towed howitzer	10-48[1]	United States	Probably never commissioned in Tunisian Army service following an inconclusive test Delivered on 1981
Mortars
M30		107mm heavy mortar	144	United States	78 tower + 36 mounted in mortar carriers M106A2 as self-propelled heavy mortars
M29		81mm medium mortar	96	United States

Anti-tank weapons[]

Name	Image	Type	Caliber	Origin	Notes
Anti-tank guided missile
BGM-71 TOW		Anti-tank missile	152 mm with warhead	United States	Mounted on HMMWV with some assumed to equip M901 ITV thus no evidence to confirm it. Number of launchers is unknown, but considering the army organisation should be around 36. 454 missiles delivered on 1982 and 180 missiles delivered on 2006[1]
MILAN		Anti-tank missile	115 mm with warhead	France  Germany	Number of launchers is unknown. 100 missiles delivered on 1981 and 40 missiles delivered on 1997
Recoilless guns
M40 recoilless rifle		Recoilless rifle	105 mm	United States	70 in service
Carl Gustaf 8.4cm recoilless rifle		Recoilless rifle	84 mm rifled	Sweden	Unknown version and number. Has been seen in some pictures within tunisian soldiers.
Shoulder launched anti-tank rocket
LRAC F1		Rocket-propelled grenade launcher	89 mm	France	Unknown number of launchers, could be around 600

Anti-aircraft weapons[]

Name	Image	Type	Number	Origin	Notes
Surface-to-air missiles and early-warning radars
M-48 Chaparral		Surface-to-air missile	46	United States	26 M-48 launchers and 354 MIM72C missiles delivered on 1979 311 MIM72F Charparral missiles delivered on 1983 20 M-48 launchers, 300 MIM72C and 300 MIM72F Charparral missiles delivered on 2002 (second hand; aid)[1]
RBS-70 Bofors		Surface-to-air missile	60	Sweden	Delivered on 1981 including 300 missiles
Giraffe 40 radar		Medium-short rang radar	12	Sweden	Delivered on 1981
Anti-aircraft guns
Zastava M55		3x20mm anti-aircraft guns	100	Yugoslavia

Tanks[]

Name	Image	Type	Number	Origin	Notes
Main battle tanks
M60A1/A3 Patton		Main battle tank	90	United States	54 M60A3 delivered on 1984 ($92m deal worth) and 30 M60A1 probably second hand[1] Equipping 2 tank battalions each attached to an infantry mechanized brigade
Light tanks
SK-105 Kürassier		Light tank	55	Austria	Delivered on 1979 equipped with FL-12 105mm tank turret of french AMX-13 Equipping 1 tank battalion attached to one infantry mechanized brigade

Reconnaissance[]

Name	Image	Type	Number	Origin	Notes
Armored scout cars
Panhard AML60/90		Armored Scout Car	36	France	18 armored car delivered on 1970 and 10 second hand delivered on 1999. Variants includes AML-90 equipped with a 90mm gun and AML-60 equipped with a 60mm mortar

Armored vehicles[]

Name	Image	Type	Number	Origin	Notes
Armoured personnel carriers
M113		Armoured personnel carrier	300	United States	M113A1 : 30 delivered on 1974 + 60 delivered on 1981 M-577A1 CP : 20 delivered on 1981 + 6 delivered on 2003[1] Equipping 3 mechanized infantry battalions each attached to a mechanized infantry Brigade
Fiat-Otobreda 6614		Armoured personnel carrier	120	Italy	Delivered on 1980 Equipping 3 mechanized infantry battalions each attached to a mechanized infantry Brigade
MRAP
BMC Kirpi		MRAP	270 + 44 on order	Turkey	Delivered on 2016. Aimed to improve soldier protection against improvised explosive device attacks and ambushes following deadly terrorist attacks against the army. Equipped with remote weapon station and forward-looking infrared radar Equipping newly established Intervention battalions
Ejder Yalcin		MRAP	100	Turkey	Delivered on 2017. Equipping Saharian territory infantry units
ACMAT Bastion		MRAP	8	France	Delivered on 2016, financed by the United States DoD. Equipping armored engineer, mine clearance unit
Infantry mobility vehicles
HMMWV Up-Armoured		Infantry mobility vehicle	500	United States	Delivered on 2016. M1165A1 version. Equipped with M2 Browning .50cal machine guns
LPV Jeep J8		Infantry mobility vehicle	70	United States	Delivered on 2016. Equipped with M2 Browning .50cal machine guns or Mk 19 grenade launchers
NIMR		Infantry mobility vehicle	40	United Arab Emirates	Delivered on 2012, probably as aid
Toyota Land Cruiser 76		Infantry mobility vehicle	Unknown	Japan	Equipped with M2 Broning .50cal machine guns, employed by Saharian territory infantry units
Armoured recovery vehicles
M88A1 Recovery Vehicle		Armoured recovery vehicle	6	United States	Delivered on 1984, as part of M60A3 Patton deal

Logistic vehicles[]

• HET M1000 (United States)
• M151A2 MUTT 4×4 (United States)
• Land Rover Defender 4×4 (United Kingdom)
• Mercedes-Benz Unimog U-4000 (Germany)
• Mercedes-Benz Unimog U-5000 (Germany)
• M35A2 cargo truck (United States)
• M939 cargo truck (United States)
• 56 M49 tanker truck (United States)

Radar[]

• 2 RASIT DRPT ground surveillance radar (France)
• 2 AN/TPQ-53 (United States) on order
• 4-6 Giraffe 40 (Sweden)

Former equpiment[]

Artillery[]

• 30 Mle 1950 BF-50 155mm towed howitzer (France), delivered on 1960
• 30 M114A1 155mm towed howitzer (United States), ex-US, delivered on 1965
• 48 M108 105mm self-propelled howitzer (United States),ex-US, delivered on 1968

Anti-tank equipment[]

• 80 SS.11 ATGM launcher (France)
• 300 M20 "Super Bazooka" 3.7 inch/94mm Light ATRL (United States)
• 140 M18 57mm recoilless rifle (United States)

Anti-aircraft equipment[]

• 16 M42 Duster twin-mounted Bofors 40 mm self-propelled AAG (United States/Sweden) 8 delivered on 1968 and 8 delivered on 1972, all second hand; aid

Tanks[]

• 30 AMX-13/75 75mm main gun light tank (France), 15 delivered on 1960 and 15 delivered on 1970
• 12 M41 Walker Bulldog 76mm main gun light tank (United States), delivered on 1960, second hand
• 14 M48A5 Patton 90mm main gun main battle tank (United States), delivered on 1973, second hand

Armoured vehicles[]

• 15 EBR-75 armoured car (France), delivered on 1957
• 10 M8 Greyhound armoured car (United States), delivered on 1960

Reconnaissance[]

• 20 Alvis Saladin 76mm main gun 6×6 ARV (United Kingdom)

Planned equipment[]

• Altay - Tunisia wants to modernize its current fleet of main battle tanks and replace its American m-60s and the roadmap signed with Turkey together with its very high performance may be the best option.
• TGR-300 Kasirga - the Tunisian army is in the process of renewing its armed forces and, as it has rocket launcher artillery systems, Turkey has offered the TGR-300 Kasirga.

References[]