Kuwait National Guard

Kuwait National Guard
الحرس الوطني الكويتي
Kuwait National Guard
Active1967; 58 years ago (1967)
Country Kuwait
TypeParamilitary
Gendarmerie
Reserve army
Border guard
RoleExpeditionary warfare
Special operations
Special reconnaissance
Counterterrorism
Border control
SizeApprox. 70,000 personnel
Part ofKuwait Armed Forces
Garrison/HQKuwait
Nickname(s)His Highness Elite
Motto(s)الله والوطن والامير
God, Country & The Emir
ColorsGreen & Yellow
AnniversariesNational and Liberation Day (25 and 26 February)
Engagements
Commanders
His Highness National Guard CommanderVacant

The Kuwait National Guard (KNG) (Arabic: الحرس الوطني الكويتي) is a paramilitary and gendarmerie branch of the Kuwait Armed Forces.[1] The National Guard is an independent combat institution and traces its heritage directly to the cavalrymen and infantrymen that defended Kuwait's three mounted defensive walls.[2][3] Since its inception, the Kuwait National Guard under the guidance of the respective leadership; executed, participated in, and supported carrying out all conflicts in which the Kuwait Armed Forces have engaged since 1967.[1]

Creation and patron

The founding of the Kuwait National Guard was first conceived during the Six-Day War and following the outcomes of Operation Vantage when Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah[4] was the Crown Prince of Kuwait through the 2nd decree of 1967 on June 6 during the reign of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah.[1] A mission for this purpose was led by Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah,[5] who was the driving force in forming the various task forces within the National Guard and who has remained at the head of the institution since its enacting in 1967.[6][7]

Leadership

National Guard Commander

# Name Title Tenure Note Picture
1 Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah[6][7][8] His Highness Commander of Kuwait National Guard 1967–2024 Most senior serving member and Chieftain dean of the House of Sabah

Deputy National Guard Commanders

# Name Rank Tenure Note Picture
1 Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah[6][9][10] Deputy National Guard Commander 1994–2003 The Crown Prince of Kuwait (2006–2020)
The Emir of Kuwait (2020–2023)
2 Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah[6][11] Deputy National Guard Commander 2004–2020 The Crown Prince of Kuwait (2020–2023)[6][11]
Emir of Kuwait (2023–present)
3 Ahmed Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah Deputy National Guard Commander 2020–2022 Prime Minister of Kuwait (2022–2023)
4 Faisal Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah Deputy National Guard Commander[12] 2022–present Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior (2021–2022)

History

50th Anniversary of the Kuwait National Guard

In June 2017, the Kuwait National Guard commemorated their 50th Anniversary Golden jubilee under the leadership of the Commander-in-chief, the Emir of Kuwait, and directives of Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah.

Ranks

Officers
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
Kuwait National Guard
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 National Guard
 No insignia
وكيل أول
Wakil 'awal 		وكيل
Wakil 		رقيب أول
Raqib 'awal 		رقیب
Raqib 		عريف
Earif 		جندي أول
Jundiun awwal 		جندي
Jundiun‎‎‎‎

Equipment

Armored Fighting Vehicles

Name Type Quantity Country of origin Notes
Pandur Armoured Personnel Carrier 150 Austria 70 in 6 versions.some with 90mm cockerill turret First entered service 1997 (produced by AV Technology)

80 Pandur II with a 25mm Bushmaster turret

Desert Chameleon[dead link‍] Armoured Personnel Carrier 20 United States 6×6 APC with 30 mm cannon. First entered service 2011
Condor (APC) Armoured Personnel Carrier 8 West Germany Kuwait owns the advanced version (Condor II)
Shorland S600 Armoured Personnel Carrier 22 United Kingdom 22 in 5 versions (APC, CPV, ambulance, crowd control and mortar carrier)
Véhicule Blindé Léger Armoured Personnel Carrier 97 France
Humvee Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle 2,300 United States Vehicles sold via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program.
Sherpa light Scout Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle 3,000 France 1,000 Sherpas sold to Kuwait National Guard in 2015 Sherpa Scouts sold to the Kuwaiti military in 2016 under a €270 m contract.

References

  1. ^ a b c [1] Archived 4 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine Kuwait National Guard Mission Statement and History; (Arabic Read)
  2. ^ [2] Kuwait National Guard Archives, Early Defense Cavaly & Infantry led by Sheikh Abdullah Jaber Al-Abdullah II Al-Sabah; (Arabic Read)
  3. ^ [3] Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Kuwait National Guard Archives, Early Defense Cavalry & Infantry led by His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
  4. ^ [4] Kuwait National Guard Archives; His Highness Sheikh Jaber Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
  5. ^ [5] Kuwait National Guard Archives, Old and New, His Highness Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah
  6. ^ a b c d e "- KUWAIT NATIONAL GUARD - الحرس الوطني الكويتي -". Kuwait National Guard. Archived from the original on 16 July 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2015. (Arabic Read)
  7. ^ a b [6] Archived 3 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine Profile & Accomplishments of Kuwait National Guard Commander; His Highness Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah; (Arabic Read)
  8. ^ [7] Kuwait National Guard Archives, Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah and Sheikh Abdullah Jaber Al-Abdullah II Al-Sabah with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
  9. ^ [8] Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Kuwait National Guard Archives, His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah with His Royal Highness Mutaib bin Abdullah in 2001; Retrieved March 7, 2015
  10. ^ [9] Kuwait National Guard Archives; His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (Arabic Read)
  11. ^ a b "Profile & Accomplishments of Kuwait National Guard Deputy Commander and acting Minister by Government Protocol; His Excellency Sheikh Meshal Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah" (in Arabic). Kuwait National Guard. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  12. ^ "KUNA : Kuwait cabinet fills leadership roles across state bodies - General - 07/11/2022". www.kuna.net.kw. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
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