Kuwait Army

Kuwait Army
Active
  • Kuwait Army Cavalry & Infantry

(1915–38)

(1938–53)

1949 (1949)
Country  Kuwait
Branch Military of Kuwait
Type Land force
Size 90,000 personnel approximately
Garrison/HQ Desert of Kuwait
Nickname(s) His Highness Land Force
Motto(s) الله والوطن والاميرGod, 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's cavalry and infantry were part of the combat forces in desert and metropolitan areas in 1919, 1920 and 1928 to 1938 while tracing their roots directly to the cavalrymen and infantrymen that defended Al-Kout Fortress since the 19th century along with the various mounted defensive walls. The "Kuwait Army" eventually enacted the Kuwait Land Force which became the prinicpal land force of the Kuwait Armed Forces and is the oldest armed branch among the Military of Kuwait.[1]

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

Part of 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 Delivered between 1994–97
M-84AB Main Battle Tank 150 Yugoslavia 200 Ordered 1989 and 15 in service by 1990
Desert Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle 254 United Kingdom 136 with 25 mm gun, 118 APC. Delivered 1994–97
BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle 200 Soviet Union 118 delivered in 1995–1996. A new contract was signed in 2013. Contract was executed on September 30, 2015. Currently it has about 200 in service
BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle 76 Soviet Union 245 delivered between 1989–90 and 46 delivered between 1994–95
M113A2 Armoured Personnel Carrier 230 United States 60 Active
M577 Armoured Personnel Carrier 30 United States Command post vehicle
Fahd 240 Armoured Personnel Carrier 40 Egypt First delivered in 1988[2]
M88 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 770 United States
Sherpa light Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle 0 France 120 on order

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 66 United States
AT-5 Spandrel Anti-tank guided weapon 240 Soviet Union
AT-4 Spigot Anti-tank guided weapon 80 Soviet Union
AT-10 Anti-tank guided weapon 60 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)

Land Officer Corps

Company-grade officers Field-grade officers General officers
Lieutenant
(LT)
First Lieutenant
(1st LT)
Captain
(CAPT)
Major
(MAJ)
Lieutenant Colonel
(LT.COL)
Colonel
(COL)
Brigadier general
(B.GEN)
Major general
(MAJ.GEN)
Lieutenant general
(LT.GEN)
General
(GEN)
O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6 O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10
One Star
(Arabic: ملازم)[4]
Two Stars
(Arabic: ملازم أول)[4]
Three Stars
(Arabic: نقيب)[4]
Crown
(Arabic: رائد)[4]
Crown & Star
(Arabic: مقدم)[4]
Crown & Two Stars
(Arabic: عقيد)[4]
Crown & Three Stars
(Arabic: عميد)[4]
Crown & Two Crossed Arabian Swords
(Arabic: لواء)[4]
Crown, Star & Two Crossed Arabian Swords
(Arabic: فريق)[4]
Crown, Two Stars & Two Crossed Arabian Swords
(Arabic: فريق أول)[4]

Land Enlisted Corps

Junior enlisted Non-commissioned Officers (NCOs) Warrant Officers (WOs)
Private
(PVT)
Private first class
(PFC)
Corporal
(CPL)
Sergeant
(SGT)
Staff Sergeant
(SSGT)
Warrant Officer
(WO)
Chief Warrant Officer
(CWO)
E-1 E-2 E-3 E-4/5 E-7 E-8 E-9
No Chevron
Regular Soldier
One Chevron
(Arabic: وكيل عريف 'Wakil 'Arif')[4]
Two Chevrons
(Arabic: عريف ' 'Areef')[4]
Three Chevrons
(Arabic: رقيب أول 'Rakeeb')[4]
Three Chevrons with circle closing stripe
(Arabic: رقيب أول 'Rakeeb Awal')[4]
One Star centered with Coat of Arms of the Emir of Kuwait
(Arabic: وكيل ضابط 'Wakeel' )[4]
Two Stars centered with Coat of Arms of the Emir of Kuwait
(Arabic: وكيل أول ضابط Wakeel Awal)[4]

See also

References

  1. "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)
  2. John Pike (2013-04-22). "Kuwait – Army Equipment". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
  3. Army Recognition. "World Defence News: Rheinmetall of Germany contract to supply 12 Fuchs 2 NBC 6x6 reconnaissance vehicles to Kuwait". worlddefencenews.blogspot.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Kuwaiti Army Land Forces / القوة البرية الكويتية". Retrieved 23 December 2014.

External links

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