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List of equipment of the Somali Armed Forces

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The following is a list of active equipment of the Somali Armed Forces. Retired equipment is listed at the bottom.

Small arms

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Name Image Caliber Type Origin Notes
Pistols
Makarov PM[1] 9×18mm Semi-automatic pistol  Soviet Union
Rifles
AKM[2] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Soviet Union
AK-74 5.45×39mm Assault rifle  Soviet Union Used by National Intelligence and Security Agency special forces Gaashaan and Waran.[3] and Danab commandos.[4]
AK-74M 5.45×39mm Assault rifle  Russia Used by NISA special forces Gaashaan and Waran.[5] and Danab commandos.[6]
Vz. 58[7] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
PM md. 63 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Socialist Republic of Romania
AK-63[8] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Hungarian People's Republic
Zastava M70 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Yugoslavia
Type 56[9] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  China
MPT-76 7.62×51mm Battle rifle  Turkey 450 delivered.[10]
M16[11] 5.56×45mm Assault rifle  United States
M4A1 5.56×45mm Carbine
Assault rifle 		 United States Used by Special Forces.[citation needed] [1]
Heckler & Koch G3 7.62×51mm Battle rifle  West Germany Used by the Danab Brigade and the "Gorgor" Brigade, also used by Camp TURKSOM NCOs and officer cadets.[12][13]
SKS-45 Simonov 7.62×39mm Semi-automatic rifle  Soviet Union Used for ceremonial purposes by the Presidential Guard.[citation needed]
Sniper rifles
SVD[14] 7.62×54mmR Designated marksman rifle
Sniper rifle 		 Soviet Union
Machine guns
RP-46[1] 7.62×54mmR Light machine gun  Soviet Union
SG-43[15] 7.62×54mmR Medium machine gun  Soviet Union
Browning M1919[15] 7.62×51mm Medium machine gun  United States
KPV 14.5×114mm Heavy machine gun  Soviet Union
DShK[16] 12.7×108mm Heavy machine gun  Soviet Union
RPD[1] 7.62×39mm Squad automatic weapon  Soviet Union
PKM[2] 7.62×54mmR General-purpose machine gun  Soviet Union
Zastava M84[17] 7.62×54mmR General-purpose machine gun  Yugoslavia
Rocket propelled grenade launchers
RPG-2[15] 40mm Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union
RPG-7[2] 40mm Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union
Grenade launchers
AGS-17[citation needed] 30×29mm Grenade launcher  Soviet Union

Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
Casspir MRAP  South Africa 9[18] In Service
BMC Kirpi MRAP  Turkey 24[19] In Service
BMC Kirpi II MRAP  Turkey N/A[20] In Service
Streit Tornado MRAP/APC  United Arab Emirates N/A In Service Seen in military convoy.[21]

Armoured personnel carriers

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
AT105 Saxon[18] Armored personnel carrier  United Kingdom 50[citation needed] In Service Donated second hand by Djibouti April 2013.
Iveco VM 90[18] Armored personnel carrier  Italy N/A In Service Donated by Italy.
RG-31 Nyala[18] Infantry mobility vehicle  South Africa N/A In Service
Streit Spartan Armoured personnel carrier  United Arab Emirates N/A In Service Seen in military convoy.[21]

Utility vehicles

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
Toyota 4Runner Utility vehicle  Japan Unknown In Service Used in 2020.

Used by Armed Forces for awareness against COVID-19.[22][23]

Toyota Land Cruiser Utility vehicle  Japan 10[24] In Service Donated by Turkey.
Mitsubishi Triton Utility vehicle  Japan 26+[25] In Service Donated by Turkey.
Trucks
M939[26] Utility truck  United States Unknown In Service
BMC 245-16P 4x4 Utility truck  Turkey 14[27] In Service Donated by Turkey.
Iveco 4x4 Utility truck  Italy 3+[28] In Service Donated by Turkey.

Aircraft

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In 2024, Italy supplied Somalia with four Bell 412 utility helicopters, “marking the most significant delivery of military equipment since the lifting of the arms embargo imposed on Somalia“. [2][3] The United Nations Support Office for Somalia has supported the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia to acquire three helicopters from Burundi.[29]

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
Serçe-1 Multi-Rotor Drone System  Turkey N/A In Service [30]
Bell 412 Utility helicopter  United States
 Canada 		6 In Service Donated by Italy, includes 1 Bell-412SP variant[31]

Boats

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
ONUK MRTP 16 Patrol boat  Turkey Unknown In Service
Grand RIB Rigid inflatable boat  Ukraine Unknown In Service

Individual Equipment

[edit]
Model Origin Image Type Notes
Helmets
PASGT  United States

 Turkey

Combat helmet Donated from Turkey [when?][citation needed]
FAST  United States

 Turkey

Combat helmet Utilised by Commando Brigade, donated from Turkey.
Camouflage Patterns
Desert Battle Dress Uniform  United States

 Somalia

Camouflage pattern Bought from the U.S. in the 1980s.[citation needed]
M2008 Digital Camouflage  Turkey Camouflage pattern Donated from Turkey.[1]

Retired equipment

[edit]
A T-55, one of several SNA tanks
Abandoned Somali M47 Patton tanks in Mogadishu, discovered by U.S. Army troops on 1 December 1993

Among firearms associated with the Somali National Army and reported by Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/10 were Soviet TT pistols, British Sterling submachine guns; German Heckler & Koch G3 and Belgian FN FAL assault rifles, U.S. M14 rifles, Soviet RPD machine guns; Soviet RPK machine guns; Soviet RP-46 machine guns; French AA-52 machine guns; Belgian FN MAG machine guns; Soviet DShK heavy machine guns; U.S. M2 Browning .50 cal heavy machine guns; and U.S. M79 grenade launchers and Soviet RPG-2 grenade launchers.[1]

Previous arms acquisitions included the following equipment, much of which was unserviceable circa June 1989:[32] 293 main battle tanks (30 Centurions; 123 M47 Patton, 30 T-34, 110 T-54/55 from various sources). Christopher F. Foss, writing in the second edition of Jane's Main Battle Tanks said that 'Kuwait was believed to have supplied Somalia with about 35 Centurions.'[33] The Military Balance 1987–88 (p. 112) listed 30 Centurions held by the Somali Army.

Other armoured fighting vehicles included 10 M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks, 30 BRDM-2 and 15 Panhard AML-90 armored cars (formerly owned by Saudi Arabia). The IISS estimated in 1989 that there were 474 armoured personnel carriers, including 64 BTR-40/BTR-50/BTR-60, 100 BTR-152 wheeled armored personnel carriers, 310 Fiat 6614 and 6616s, and that BMR-600s had been reported. SIPRI also reported BTR-70s had been sold to Somalia.[34] The IISS estimated that there were 210 towed artillery pieces (8 M-1944 100 mm, 100 M-56 105 mm, 84 M-1938 122 mm, and 18 M198 155 mm towed howitzers). Other equipment reported by the IISS included 82 mm and 120 mm mortars, 100 Milan and BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missiles, rocket launchers, recoilless rifles, and a variety of Soviet air defence guns of 20 mm, 23 mm, 37 mm, 40 mm, 57 mm, and 100 mm calibre. SIPRI also reported that 9K32 Strela-2 air defence missiles had been transferred.[34]

In addition, U.S. M151 trucks had been sold to Somalia by December 1987.[35]

IISS Military Balance 2022 lists only armoured personnel carriers and utility vehicles.

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
BRDM-2 Amphibious armored scout car  Soviet Union Unknown Status:In_retired
ZU-23-2[18] Autocannon  Soviet Union Unknown Status:In_retired
Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
Rocket artillery
BM-21 Grad[36] Multiple rocket launcher  Soviet Union Unknown Status:In_retired

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Jones & Ness 2009.
  2. ^ a b c AfricaNews (9 May 2017). "Several soldiers killed in al Shabaab attack on Somali army base – Africanews". africanews.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  3. ^ NISA (23 January 2016). "HSNQ_NISA Director General with his Elite Gaashaan & Waran, We will defend our ppl, #TweetLiidoPicturespic.twitter.com/MsZeyfukIX". @HSNQ_NISA. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  4. ^ TP 🤟🏻 (24 March 2018). "Somali Army SOF operators #DANABpic.twitter.com/QphsTHOC1O". @tacticalporn. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  5. ^ NISA (23 January 2016). "HSNQ_NISA Director General with his Elite Gaashaan & Waran, We will defend our ppl, #TweetLiidoPicturespic.twitter.com/MsZeyfukIX". @HSNQ_NISA. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  6. ^ TP 🤟🏻 (24 March 2018). "Somali Army SOF operators #DANABpic.twitter.com/QphsTHOC1O". @tacticalporn. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  7. ^ "Daawo Sawirada: Qaabka ay Ciidamada Puntland ula wareegen Qandala". caasimada.net. 8 December 2016. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  8. ^ "AKM 63 Assault Rifle : Somalia". awm.gov.au. Australian War Memorial.
  9. ^ Charbonneau, Louis (10 October 2014). "Exclusive: Somalia army weapons sold on open market – U.N. monitors". Reuters. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  10. ^ "Turkish Firms Receive Orders to Manufacture 45000 Locally-made MPT-76 Rifles". defenseworld.net. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  11. ^ Jane's Special Forces Recognition Guide, Ewen Southby-Tailyour (2005) p. 446.
  12. ^ "Image of Somali Cadets at Camp TURKSOM". Kashaale. 2018.
  13. ^ "Image of Somali Commandos training in Turkey".
  14. ^ "Somali daily News – Meydadka Askar Itoobiyaan ah oo lagu soo bandhigay Gobolka Galgaduud+SAWIRO". shinganinews.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  15. ^ a b c Small Arms Survey 2012, p. 338.
  16. ^ "SNA troops in southern Somalia". SNA Radio. September 2019. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Alt URL
  17. ^ "Mortar Rounds Shake Mogadishu Ahead of Somali Presidential Vote | Voice of America - English".
  18. ^ a b c d e Military Balance 2017
  19. ^ "Turkey donates 12 military vehicles to Somalia". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  20. ^ "Somalia received BMC Kipri II MRAP vehicles".
  21. ^ a b "Streit Tornado, Streit Spartan SUT MAV and BMC Kirpi 350 APC/MRAP in use by Somalian Army seen in military convoy".
  22. ^ Reform, Somalia's Security Sector (10 May 2020). ".@SNAForce continued the #COVIDー19 awareness in several districts in Mogadishu, including Cabdicasiis, Shangaani, Xamar Weyne, Xamar Jajab, Dharkeynley, and Wadajir. #SNACovid19Awareness #CXDSpic.twitter.com/SfxKfDBNVR". @SomaliaSSR. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  23. ^ Reform, Somalia's Security Sector (8 May 2020). "SNA is visiting the overpopulated areas and underprivileged communities in Mogadishu to communicate the #COVIDー19 awareness message, and distribute face masks. #SNACovid19Awareness #XooggaDalkapic.twitter.com/7C12ISMeqR". @SomaliaSSR. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  24. ^ Oryx. "From Türkiye With Love: Tracking Turkish Military Donations". Oryx. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  25. ^ Oryx. "From Türkiye With Love: Tracking Turkish Military Donations". Oryx. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  26. ^ "The Mighty Somali Army 1980's - YouTube". YouTube. 14 June 2009. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  27. ^ Oryx. "From Türkiye With Love: Tracking Turkish Military Donations". Oryx. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  28. ^ Oryx. "From Türkiye With Love: Tracking Turkish Military Donations". Oryx. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  29. ^ https://x.com/UNSOS_/status/1715301502036652062 [bare URL]
  30. ^ "Somalian Commandos training with Serçe-1 Drone".
  31. ^ "Arms transfer database". armstransfers.sipri.org. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  32. ^ IISS 1989, p. 113.
  33. ^ Foss, Christopher (1986). Jane's Main Battle Tanks. London, UK/New York City: Jane's. p. 186. ISBN 0-7106-0372-X.
  34. ^ a b "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  35. ^ "Annex C Appendix II". US Army Technical Manual of Foreign Military Sales: Battlefield Damage Assessment and Repair (PDF). Washington, D.C. 18 December 1987. p. 262. TM 9-2320-356-BD. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2013.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  36. ^ Military Balance 2016, p. 466.

Bibliography

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