Military of Kuwait

Under the constitution of Kuwait, the Emir of Kuwait is the supreme commander of the armed forces with a Minister of Defence who directs the Military of Kuwait through the Chief of the General Staff. The National Guard has its own commander, who reports directly to the minister of defence. Public security forces report to the minister of interior. The ruling As Sabah family maintain a tight grip on the centers of power, including many senior posts in the security services.

Since 1999 women have served as part of the police forces.

Organization

The Kuwaiti Army is the primary land force of the Military of Kuwait. Kuwait's postwar equipment orders include 200 M-84 tanks (from Yugoslavia to offset previous Yugoslav oil purchases) and eighteen self-propelled 155mm guns from France. Kuwait also has received United States, Russian, and Egyptian armored vehicles. . The Kuwaiti Navy is the Kuwait Naval Force, is the sea-based component of the Military of Kuwait. The headquarters and sole naval base is Ras al-Qulayah Naval Base, located in the south of Kuwait, approximately 35 miles (56 km) south of Kuwait City. The Kuwait Naval Force numbers approximately 2,000 officers and enlisted personnel, including approximately 400 coast guard. The Kuwait Air Force (al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya) is the air arm of the State of Kuwait. The Air Force headquarters is located at Al Mubarak Air Base, with the remaining forces stationed at Air Defence Brigade, Ali Al Salem Air Base and Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base. The Kuwait Air Force numbers approximately 2,500 officer and enlisted personnel. The Kuwaiti National Guard is an internal and border security force.

History

With its small size and enormous oil wealth, Kuwait occupies an strategic position at the head of the Persian Gulf. Forty kilometers away is Iran, who had proclaimed its aim of exporting its Iranian Revolution; while the other powerful neighbor, Iraq, had repeatedly challenged Kuwait's legitimacy and subsequently invaded Kuwait twice. Fearful of the radical leadership in Iran, Kuwait aided Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War by permitting the transshipment of goods across its territory and by loans of about six billion US dollars. Kuwait responded to terrorist bombings and other violence inspired by Iran by intensifying its military cooperation with the GCC and by building up its own military. Formally neutral and reluctant to become involved with the great powers except as a last resort, Kuwait turned to the United States, the Soviet Union and Britain for naval protection of its tanker fleet after twenty-one ships were attacked in the gulf since late 1986.

Before the Persian Gulf War, Kuwait maintained a small military force with equipment supplied by the United Kingdom and the United States. Aside from the few units that were able to escape to Saudi Arabia, including a majority of the air force, all of this equipment was either destroyed or taken by the Iraqis. Much of the property that was returned by Iraq after the Persian Gulf War was damaged beyond repair. MBTs]]

Since the war, Kuwait, with the help of the United States and other allies, has made significant efforts to increase the size and modernity of their armed forces. These efforts are succeeding. The government also continues to improve defence arrangements with other Arab states, as well as UN Security Council members.

Kuwait has entered into a ten-year defence cooperation agreement with the United States (in September 1991), the United Kingdom, and France . The agreement with the United States includes port access, military equipment storage, and joint training and exercises. The agreement did not officially provide for the stationing of United States service personnel in Kuwait as the 1,500 US personnel remaining after the Gulf War were scheduled to leave within a few months.

Following Operation Desert Strike in 1996, Kuwait agreed to a United States battalion task force to be permanently stationed in Kuwait. These US Army Intrinsic Action (later called Operation Desert Spring on 1 October 1999) rotations and US Marine Corps EAGER MACE rotations conducted combined training with the Kuwaiti Land Forces and other coalition partners. In addition, US Special Operations Forces conducted Iris Gold rotations to train and assist other Kuwaiti military units

US Forces

US Forces current Inactive facilities are: # Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base # Camp Doha # Camp Moreell # Camp Navistar # Camp New York # Failaka Island # Mina Al Ahmadi

The Kabals are desert outposts (tent cities) with dining facilities, air-conditioned sleeping tents, recreation facilities and storage for weapons, tanks and their armoured vehicles. The kabals are named New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Equipment

See also

Notes