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Kuwait Land Forces
Kuwait Land Forces
Arabic: القوات البرية الكويتي
Country	Kuwait
Allegiance	Ministry of Defense
Branch	Kuwait Armed Forces
Type	Land force
Size	60,000 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; ; Ikhwan Revolt 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; Battle of Failaka; ; 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	Brigadier Mohammad Al-Dhafiri
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 Kuwait Armed Forces.^[2] 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.

In early 2024, up to 149 M-84AB tanks were sent to the Djuro Djakovic factory in Croatia for refurbishment and repairs with the wide belief among military analysts they will be then sent to Ukraine.^[3]

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

Armored fighting vehicles

Name	Origin	Type	Quantity	Notes
M1A2 Abrams	United States	Main battle tank	218^[4]
M-84AB	Yugoslavia	Main battle tank	149^[5]	200 Ordered 1989 and 15 in service by 1990. In 2024 sent to Croatia for refurbishment.^[3]
Desert Warrior	United Kingdom	Infantry fighting vehicle	254	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	Soviet Union	Infantry fighting vehicle	~200	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	Soviet Union	Infantry fighting vehicle	76	245 delivered between 1989–90 and 46 delivered between 1994–95, 76 in service as of 2005
M113A2	United States	Armoured personnel carrier	260	230 M113A2, 30 M577 (CP)
M577	United States	Armoured personnel carrier	30	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	Egypt	Armoured personnel carrier	60	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.^[6]
M88A2 Hercules	United States	Armoured recovery vehicle	14	14× M88A2 in service with the Kuwait Army, and 19 more ordered from the United States.^[7]
M-84AI	Poland / Yugoslavia	Armoured recovery vehicle	15	Polish WZT-3 built under license by Yugoslavia as M-84AI
Fuchs 2 NBC-RS	Germany	Armoured personnel carrier	0	NBC vehicle, 12 on order^[8]

Logistics and utility vehicles

Name	Photo	Origin	Type	Quantity	Notes
Humvee		United States	Multipurpose wheeled vehicle	Unknown	Vehicles sold via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program

Self-propelled field artillery

Name	Photo	Origin	Type	Quantity	Notes
PLZ-45		China	Self-propelled howitzer	51	(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		United States	Self-propelled howitzer	23	Withdrawn from service

Multiple launch rocket systems

Name	Photo	Origin	Type	Quantity	Notes
BM-30 Smerch		Soviet Union / Russia	Multiple rocket launcher	27	Purchased 1995–96

Anti-tank

Name	Origin	Type	Quantity
RPG-7	Soviet Union	Rocket-propelled grenade
TOW M-901	United States	Anti-tank guided missile	400
M966/M966A1	United States	TOW missile carrier	900
TOW II	United States	Anti-tank guided missile	82 launchers
9M113 Konkurs	Soviet Union	Anti-tank guided missile	2,402 missiles
9K111 Fagot	Soviet Union	Anti-tank guided missile	4,601 missiles
AT-10	Russia	Anti-tank guided missile	1,250 missiles
9M133 Kornet	Russia	Anti-tank guided missile
Carl Gustav M3	Sweden	Recoilless rifle	200

Firearms

Model	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
Handguns
Beretta 92	Italy	Handgun	9×19mm Parabellum
Submachine guns
MP5	Germany	Submachine gun	9×19mm NATO	^[9]
Rifles
Bushmaster M4A3	United States	Carbine	5.56×45mm NATO	Used by the 25th Commando Brigade.^[10]
M4 carbine	United States	Carbine	5.56×45mm NATO	^[11]
M16A2	United States	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	^[12]
Machine guns
M60 machine gun	United States	General-purpose machine gun	7.62×51mm NATO
M2 Browning	United States	Heavy machine gun	12.7×99mm NATO	Mostly as vehicle armament.
Sniper rifles and designated marksman rifles
M107/M107A1	United States	Anti-materiel rifle	12.7×99mm NATO	Standard issue sniper rifle.
Grenade launcher
M203 grenade launcher	United States	Grenade launcher	40×46mm SR
Anti-tank/Anti armor weapon
9M133 Kornet	Russia	Laser-guided Anti-tank missile	152 mm
BGM-71 TOW	United States	Wire-guided Anti-tank missile	152 mm
RPG-7	Soviet Union	Anti-tank rocket
M3 MAAWS	Sweden	Anti-tank recoilless rifle	84 mm

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										Senior officers						Junior officers
Kuwait Army v t e
Kuwait Army v t e			فريق أول‎‎ Fariq 'awal		فريق Fariq		لواء Liwa		عميد Amid		عقيد Aqid		مقدم Muqaddam		رائد Ra'id		نقيب Naqib		ملازم أول Mulazim awwal			ملازم Mulazim

Enlisted

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

References

^ https://www.tacticalreport.com/news/article/49199-kuwait-brigadier-mohammad-al-dhafiri-new-klf-commander ^{[bare URL]}
^ Enein, Youssef H. Aboul (May–June 2004). "A History of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces". Military Review. 84 (3). Archived from the original on 7 July 2017.
^ ^a ^b "The Fearsome Tanks That Fought Saddam Hussein May Soon Come for Vladimir Putin". Popular Mechanics. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
^ "Kuwait receives first M1A2K tank". Janes.com. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
^ Isidorovic, Nikola (21 April 2021). "M-84". Tank Encyclopedia. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
^ John Pike (22 April 2013). "Kuwait – Army Equipment". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
^ "Kuwait buys $281m worth of armoured vehicles from US". Middle East Monitor. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
^ Army Recognition. "World Defence News: Rheinmetall of Germany contract to supply 12 Fuchs 2 NBC 6x6 reconnaissance vehicles to Kuwait". worlddefencenews.blogspot.com.
^ Rottman 1993, p. 53.
^ Neville 2019, p. 46.
^ US Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Notifications to the 108th Congress (November 2004)
^ "wiw_me_kuwait – worldinventory". sites.google.com.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

Works cited

Neville, Leigh (2019). The Elite: The A–Z of Modern Special Operations Forces. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1472824295.
Rottman, Gordon L. (1993). Armies of the Gulf War. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-277-6.