 |
| Military of Somalia |
| Military manpower |
| Military age |
Officially 18 years of age |
| Availability |
males age 18-49: 1,787,727 (2005) |
| Fit for military service |
males age 18-49: 1,022,360 (2005) |
| Reaching military age annually |
males: n/a |
| Active troops |
200.000 |
| Military expenditures |
| Dollar figure |
$43.28 million (2005 extrapolation) |
| Percent of GDP |
0.9% (2005) |
The
SomaliSomalia , officially the Republic of Somalia and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the Horn of Africa...
National Army was, up until 1991, made up of the
armyAn army An army An army (from Latin armata "armed (things)" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based Military of a nation. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
,
navyA navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
,
air forceAn air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps, is in the broadest sense, the national military that primarily conducts aerial warfare...
, and
air defenseAnti-aircraft warfare, or air defence, is any method of engaging hostile military aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces or denial of passage through a specific airspace region, area or anti-aircraft combat zone...
command. The
Somali GovernmentThe politics of Somalia are defined by the state of civil war which, since 1991, has divided the country into various warring entities and autonomist and secessionist regions....
's demise led to the de facto dissolution of the national armed forces. Efforts by the
Transitional Federal GovernmentThe Transitional Federal Government of the Republic of Somalia is the present internationally recognized government of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the...
(TFG) to reestablish a regular armed force under the TFG Ministry of Defense have made progress so far.
Various groups and factions control militias ranging in strength from hundreds to thousands. These militias are in general poorly trained and lightly armed, although some groups possess limited inventories of older armored vehicles and other heavy weapons and small arms are prevalent throughout Somalia. The
SomalilandSomaliland is an autonomous region, which is part of the Somali republic located in the Horn of Africa. Those who call the area the Republic of Somaliland consider it to be the successor state of the former British Somaliland protectorate...
and
PuntlandPuntland is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe , whose leaders declared it an autonomous state in 1998. A third of Somalia's population lives in the province, which likewise represents about a third of the nation's geographical area. Unlike neighbouring Somaliland, Puntland does...
regional governments maintain their own security and police forces.
An agreement between the TFG and the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) to establish a national military was reportedly reached "in principle" on September 5, 2006, but in practice, political disagreements scuttled talks scheduled for October 30 in
KhartoumKhartoum is the capital of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
,
SudanSudan is a country in northeastern Africa. It is the largest country in Africa and in the Arab World, and tenth largest in the world by area...
. After the defeat of the ICU in December 2006–January 2007, an agreement was reached between the warlords and the government for the
militias to be disarmedAfter two decades of violence and civil war and after the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia captured Mogadishu and Kismayo, the TFG attempted to disarm the militias of the country in late 2006...
, and for former militia members to apply to join the army.
History
Historically, Somali society accorded prestige to the warrior (
waranle) and rewarded military prowess. Except for a man of religion (
wadaad), and they were few in number, all Somali males were considered potential warriors.
In
Italian SomalilandItalian Somaliland was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy from the 1880s until 1941 in the territory of the modern-day Northeast African nation of Somalia.-History:...
, eight "Arab-Somali" infantry battalions and several irregular units of Italian officered "
dubatsDubats was the designation given to armed irregular bands employed by the Italian Regio Corpo Truppe Coloniali or colonial army in Italian Somaliland from 1924 to 1941...
" were raised. These units served as frontier guards and tribal police. There were also Somali artillery and
zaptieZaptié was the designation given to locally raised gendarmerie units in the Italian colonies of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, Eritrea and Somalia between 1889 and 1942...
(
carabinieri) units forming part of the Italian Royal Corps of Colonial Troops from 1889 to 1941.
In 1914, the
Somaliland Camel CorpsThe Somaliland Camel Corps was a unit of the British Army based in British Somaliland from the early 20th century until the 1960s.Camels are a necessity in Somalia, being as important as ponies are in Mongolia...
was raised in
British SomalilandBritish Somaliland was a British protectorate in the northern part of present-day Somalia. The protectorate incorporated much of what now constitutes the Puntland and Somaliland macro-regions of Somalia. For much of its existence, British Somaliland was bordered by French Somaliland, the Ogaden,...
and saw service before, during, and after the Italian invasion of the British
protectorateA protectorate, in international law, is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity. In exchange for this, the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of...
during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
At independence in 1960, Somalia possessed a small and lightly equipped army with officers trained in Britain, Egypt, and Italy. After a military coup in 1961 this force was expanded and modernised with the assistance of Russian and Cuban advisors.
The Somali National Army (SNA) was battle-tested in 1964 when the conflict with
EthiopiaThe Ethiopian National Defense Force is one of the largest military forces in Africa along with Egypt and Morocco, 29th largest in the world....
over the Somali-inhabited
OgadenOgaden is the name of a territory comprising the southeastern portion of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Somali and Muslim...
erupted into warfare. On 16 June 1963, Somali guerrillas started an insurgency at Hodayo, in eastern Ethiopia, a watering place north of Werder, after
EthiopianEthiopian may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to the country of Ethiopia* A person from Ethiopia, or of Ethiopian descent. For information about the Ethiopian people, see Demographics of Ethiopia and Culture of Ethiopia. For specific persons, see List of Ethiopians.* Ethiopian Semitic...
EmperorAn emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress is the female equivalent. As a title, "empress" may indicate the wife of an emperor or a woman who rules in her own right...
Haile Selassie rejected their demand for self-government in the Ogaden. The Somali government initially refused to support the guerrilla forces, which eventually numbered about 3,000. However, in January 1964, after Ethiopia sent reinforcements to the Ogaden, Somali forces launched ground and air attacks across the Ethiopian border and started providing assistance to the guerrillas. The EAF responded with punitive strikes across its southwestern frontier against Feerfeer, northeaast of Beledweyne, and Galcaio. On 6 March 1964,
SomaliaSomalia , officially the Republic of Somalia and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the Horn of Africa...
and
EthiopiaEthiopia , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, Somalia to the east and Djibouti to the northeast. Its size is 1,100,000 km² with an...
agreed to a cease-fire; at the end of the month, the two sides signed an accord in
KhartoumKhartoum is the capital of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
,
SudanSudan is a country in northeastern Africa. It is the largest country in Africa and in the Arab World, and tenth largest in the world by area...
, agreeing to withdraw their troops from the border, cease hostile propaganda, and start peace negotiations. Somalia also terminated its support of the guerrillas.
Historical Organization
The army was organised into 12 divisions which controlled all of the following:
- 4 tank brigades,
- 45 mechanized and infantry brigades,
- 30 commando
The term commando, in English, means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means élite light infantry and/or special forces units, specialised in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and effect...
brigades,
- surface-to-air missile brigade,
- 20 artillery brigades, 30 field battalions, and
- an air defense battalion.
Historical Equipment
- Cadillac Gage Commando
- AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective fire, gas operated 7.62mm assault rifle developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the 1940s. Six decades later, the AK-47 and its variants and derivatives remain in service throughout the world...
- M-16
The M16 is the U.S. military designation for the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle....
- AK-63
The AK-63 is a Hungarian variant of the AKM assault rifle manufactured by the Fegyver- és Gépgyár state arms plant in Hungary...
- SAR-80
The Singapore Assault Rifle 80 is an indigenously built, conventional assault rifle from Singapore.-History and development:In the late 1960s, the Singapore Armed Forces adopted the AR-15 as their main service rifle...
- Centurion
The Centurion was the primary British main battle tank of the post World War II period, and was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades. The chassis was also adapted for several other roles....
main battle tanks
- M47 Patton
The M47 Patton I was the second tank of the Patton series, and one of the U.S Army's principal medium gun tanks of the Cold war with models in service from the early 1950s to the late 1980s. The tank belongs to the Patton family of tanks, named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S...
main battle tanks
- T-54/T-55
The T-54 and T-55 tanks were a series of main battle tanks designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just before the end of the Second World War. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank of the Soviet Army's armored units, as well as of...
main battle tanks
- T-34
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...
medium tanks
- M41 Walker Bulldog
The M41 Walker Bulldog was an American light tank developed to replace the M24 Chaffee. It was named for General Walton Walker who died in a jeep accident in Korea...
light tanks
- Panhard AML
The Panhard AML 60/90 is a light armoured car with permanent 4×4 drive for mobility. It can carry either a 90 mm quick firing low pressure gun, or a 60 mm breech loading mortar as main weapons...
-90 armoured cars
- BRDM-2
The BRDM-2 is an amphibious armoured patrol car used by Russia and the former Soviet Union. It was also known under designations BTR-40PB, BTR-40P-2 and GAZ 41-08...
reconnaissance vehicles
- BTR-50
The BTR-50 The BTR-50 The BTR-50 (BTR stands for Bronetransporter (БТР, Бронетранспортер, literally "armored transporter") is a Soviet amphibious armored personnel carrier (APC) based on the PT-76 light tank. The BTR-50 is tracked, unlike most in the BTR series, which are wheeled. The BTR-50...
tracked armored personnel carriers
- BTR-40
The BTR-40 is a Soviet non-amphibious, wheeled armoured personnel carrier and reconnaissance vehicle. It is often referred to as the Sorokovka in Soviet service. It is also the first mass-produced Soviet APC...
, BTR-60The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers. It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for BTR-152 and was seen first time in public in 1961...
and BTR-152The BTR-152 was a non-amphibious Soviet wheeled armored personnel carrier that entered Soviet service in 1950. By the early 1970s it had been replaced in the infantry vehicle role by the BTR-60...
wheeled armored personnel carriers
- Fiat 6614
The Fiat Type 6614 is a 4x4 wheeled armoured personnel carrier developed as a joint venture betwen Fiat and Oto Melara of Italy. The hull is welded steel, and the vehicle is amphibious.-KM900:...
/6616 armored personnel carriers
- BMR-600 wheeled APC
- BGM-71 TOW
The BGM-71 TOW is an anti-tank guided missile. "TOW" stands for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided". The TOW was first produced in 1970 and is the most widely used anti-tank guided missile in the world.-Design and development:...
anti-tank guided missiles
- M198
The M198 howitzer is a medium-sized, towed artillery piece. It can be dropped by parachute or transported by a CH-53E Super Stallion or CH-47 Chinook. The M198 is deployed in separate corps- and army-level field artillery units, as well as in artillery battalions of light and airborne divisions...
155 mm towed howitzers
Air Defense Forces
The Air Defense Forces consisted of 7 brigades.
The serviceability of the equipment is poor and status is unknown.
- SA-3 Goa surface-to-air missiles (not operational)
- SA-2 Guideline surface-to-air missiles (not operational)
- Strela 2
The 9K32 “Strela-2” is a man-portable, shoulder-fired, low-altitude surface-to-air missile system with a high explosive warhead and passive infrared homing guidance...
portable surface-to-air missiles (operational status unknown)
- P-12
- P-15 Termit
The P-15 Termit was a type of missile developed by the Soviet Union's Raduga design bureau in the 1950s. Its GRAU designation was 4K40, and its NATO reporting name was Styx or SS-N-2. In Russian service today it also seems to be called Rubezh...
- coastal defense surface to surface missiles
- P-30
- P-35
Air Force
The Somali Air Corps (SAC) was originally established with Italian aid in the early 1960s, emerging from the Italian "Corpo di Sicurezza della Somalia" while the country was under Italian and British administration, between 1950 and 1960. The most important pieces of its original equipment were eight North American F-51D Mustangs, Douglas C-47s and MiG 23s, which remained in service until 1968. The SAC operated most of its aircraft from bases near
MogadishuMogadishu is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital.Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
and
HargeisaHargeisa is a city in the northwestern Somaliland region of Somalia. It was the colonial capital of British Somaliland from 1941 to 1960 when it united with Italian Somaliland to form the Somali Republic, and also serves as the capital of the Somaliland region...
and
GaalkacyoGaalkacyo is the capital of the Mudug region of Somalia. The city is divided into two zones, where the southern portion forms the administrative seat of the Galmudug state, while the main northern portion is part of the Puntland state. The city has an estimated population of 545,000. Gaalkacyo is...
. Its mission was to support armed forces during wartime. In the spring of 1977, the Somali military, under the direction of Mohamed Siad Barre, invaded the
OgadenOgaden is the name of a territory comprising the southeastern portion of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Somali and Muslim...
(also called West-Somalia) to reclaim the Somali-populated territory.
The SAC sometimes used Somali Airlines aircraft to ferry troops and supplies to war zones. It also had other modern fighter jets such as the MiG-15, MiG-21, MiG-17, and the ll-28. In addition, the SAC possibly employed the Mi-8, one of the world's most-produced helicopters used by over 50 countries. The Mi-8 is armed with rockets and anti-tank guided missiles, as well as a carrying capacity of twenty-four soldiers.
The Somali Air Force also obtained a number of ex-Omani Air Force Hawker Hunters during the early 1980s. These aircraft where originally operated by civilian ground engineers and pilots from Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom. The aircraft were initially operated out of Mogadishu and then moved to
BaidoaBaidoa is a city in south-central Somalia, situated 256 kilometers by road northwest of the capital Mogadishu. It is the capital of the Bay Region, which is historically inhabited by the Digil and Mirifle clans...
.
The Somali government recently purchased two combat planes for the re-establishment of the Somali Airforce
Navy
The Somali Navy also participated in exercises with the United States, Great Britain and Canada prior to 1991.
As of 1991, the navy was not operational. Prior to that, the Somali navy consisted of these ships, along with various other warships.:
- Osa-II missile-armed fast attack craft
The Osa class is the NATO reporting name for a group of fast attack craft developed for the Soviet Navy in the early 1960s. The Soviet designations are Project 205 and Project 205U Tsunami...
(2)
- Mol PFT torpedo-armed fast attack craft (4)
- Polnocny class landing ship
The Polnocny -class ships are amphibious warfare vessels. They were designed in Poland, in cooperation with the Soviet Navy and were built in Poland between 1967 and 2002. They now serve in several different navies, and some have been converted to civilian use. The name comes from the Stocznia...
New Navy
In June 2009, the Somali navy was re-established with a new commander appointed: Admiral Farah Omar Ahmed. Up to 500 marines are training in Mogadishu with their training expected to finish in December 2009. They are the first batch of a 5000 strong navy force
Somali Police Force
In 1960, the British Somaliland Scouts joined with the Police Corps of Somalia to form a new
Somali Police ForceIn 1960, the British Somaliland Scouts joined with the Police Corps of Somalia to form a new Somali Police Force, which consisted of about 3,700 men. The authorities also organized approximately 1,000 of the force as the Darawishta Poliska, a mobile group used to keep peace between warring clans in...
, which consisted of about 3,700 men. The authorities also organized approximately 1,000 of the force as the
Darawishta Poliska, a mobile group used to keep peace between warring clans in the interior. Since then, the government has considered the SPF a part of the armed forces. It was not a branch of the SNA, however, and did not operate under the army's command structure. Until its dissolution in 1976, the Ministry of Interior oversaw the force's national commandant and his central command. After that date, the SPF came under the control of the presidential adviser on security affairs.
Somali military ranks
- Private
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank . The term dates from the Middle Ages, where privates were known as "private soldiers" who were either hired, conscripted, or feudalized into service by a nobleman forming an army...
- Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4. The word is probably derived from a medieval Italian phrase capo corporale, meaning "head of a body "...
- Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of Corporal, and is typically the lowest Non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
- Third Corporal
- Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
- Inspector Third Class
- Inspector Second Class
- Chief Inspector
Chief Inspector is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as Chief Inspector of Police .-United Kingdom:...
Officers
- Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
- Lieutenant
Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police officer rank....
- Captain
The army rank of Captain is an officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically the commander, or second in command, of a company or squadron...
- Major
In many European languages, the term Major is a military rank, implying seniority at one of usually various levels of rank. For example:*"General-Major" or "Major-General", denoting a senior ranking general officer....
- Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
- Colonel
Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
- Brigadier General
Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General.The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general, or simply a brigadier, would command a brigade in the field...
- Major General
Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General...
- Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
- General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is simply called general.-All general officer...
Military expenditures
Military spending in Somalia is difficult to calculate. Officially, there is a UN ban on weapon sales to the nation. However, weapons possession and open sale of AK-47s is prevalent in Somalia. Besides the formal military of the
Transitional Federal GovernmentThe Transitional Federal Government of the Republic of Somalia is the present internationally recognized government of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the...
, there are armed forces of autonomous provinces, such as
PuntlandPuntland is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe , whose leaders declared it an autonomous state in 1998. A third of Somalia's population lives in the province, which likewise represents about a third of the nation's geographical area. Unlike neighbouring Somaliland, Puntland does...
, private militias of warlords and clans, and personal stockpiles of arms. Open arms bazaars, such as in the
Bakaara MarketThe Bakaara Market is an open market in Mogadishu, Somalia, and the largest in the nation. The name Bakaaraha derives from the Somali word for grain silo or storage, baqaar....
, sell small arms and light weapons, antiaircraft guns, rockets and missiles. Weapons trafficking to Somalia is illegal and done on the black market.
The following figures are CIA estimates of the economy and arms market in Somalia:
- GDP: $4.809 billion (2005 est.)
- Percent of GDP spent on military: 0.9% (2005 est.)
- Estimated expenditures: $43.28 million (gross calculation based on above figures)
New plans for the Somali Army
Before the recent actions in the
Somali Civil WarThe Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia, that began in 1991. The conflict has caused destabilisation and instability throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to the rebel...
, Somalia's new government had plans for an army of 30,000 men, with the first 6,000 to be funded and trained by Italian advisors, using a
cadreCadre is the backbone of an organization, usually a political or military organization. The expression can be in the singular or the plural...
training method: "One hundred and twenty foreign trainers will train 500 ex-Somalia Army soldiers, who will in their turn train the 6,000 men."
New official international plans for Somali army training are those endorsed through the December 6, 2006
United Nations Security CouncilThe United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
-sanctioned mission known as
IGASOMThe African Union Mission to Somalia is an active, regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations...
. This mission has the endorsement of the
African UnionThe African Union is an intergovernmental organization consisting of 52 African states. Established on July 9 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organization of African Unity...
, and the union of
Horn of AfricaThe Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts for hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea, and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
nations known as IGAD. However, to date no IGASOM-sanctioned troops have arrived in Somalia to assist the TFG.
Beyond the scope of the UN provisions, Ethiopia admitted it provided military advisors to the nascent TFG even before the outbreak of the war on December 20, 2006, controverting the Security Council's emphasis that according to the "IGAD Deployment Plan that those States that border Somalia would not deploy troops in Somalia." This limits the IGASOM mission eligibility to the nations of Uganda, Eritrea, and Sudan, since Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti all border Somalia.
Even as the UNSC debated the motion to allow a lifting of the arms and training embargo on Somalia, Ethiopia publicly admitted its advisors were in Somalia, such as in this statement quoted at the time: "Ethiopia admitted it only has several hundred military advisors and trainers in Somalia to protect the impotent Somali government based in Baidoa, 250 km southwest of the capital."
Meanwhile, the ICU army was funded from a variety of alleged unofficial sources.
With the recent
de facto state of affairs in Somalia, the future is unclear regarding international support and funding of the Somali military.
Equipment of the Transitional Federal Government
- Technicals
A technical is a type of improvised fighting vehicle, typically a civilian or military non-combat vehicle, modified to provide an offensive capability...
- AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective fire, gas operated 7.62mm assault rifle developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the 1940s. Six decades later, the AK-47 and its variants and derivatives remain in service throughout the world...
- Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
- PKM
Pkm or PKM indicates the following:* Passenger-kilometre or pkm is a unit of passenger transportation quantity* Personal knowledge management* PK machine gun* PKMzeta...
- DShK
The DShK 1938 is a Soviet heavy anti-aircraft machine gun firing 12.7x108mm cartridges...
- ZU-23
- RPG-2
The RPG-2 was the first rocket-propelled grenade launcher designed in the Soviet Union.-Development:The RPG-2 , was a man-portable, shoulder-launched rocket propelled grenade anti-armor weapon. The chief attributes of the RPG-2 were robustness, simplicity, and low cost...
- RPG-7
The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket propelled grenade weapon. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
- 120mm mortars