List of equipment of the Botswana Ground Force

This is a list of the equipment used by the Botswana Ground Force.

Small arms

Name	Image	Caliber	Type	Origin	Notes
Pistols
Browning Hi-Power [1]		9×19mm	Semi-automatic pistol	Belgium   United States
Submachine guns
Sten [2]		9×19mm	Submachine gun	United Kingdom
Sterling [1]		9×19mm	Submachine gun	United Kingdom
Uzi [3]		9×19mm	Submachine gun	Israel
Rifles
AKM [1]		7.62×39mm	Assault rifle	Soviet Union
IMI Galil [1]		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	Israel
M16 [4]		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	United States
ArmaLite AR-18		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	United States
Colt Canada C7 [5]		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	Canada
FN SCAR [4]		5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	Belgium
SA80		5.56×45mm	Bullpup Assault rifle	United Kingdom
SAR-21 [4]		5.56×45mm	Bullpup Assault rifle	Singapore
FN FAL [1]		7.62×51mm	Battle rifle	Belgium	Currently being phased out by the SAR-21
Heckler & Koch G3 [6]		7.62×51mm	Battle rifle	West Germany
Machine guns
Bren [7]		7.62×51mm	Light machine gun	Czechoslovakia United Kingdom
Browning M1919 [8]		7.62×51mm	Medium machine gun	United States
FN MAG [1]		7.62×51mm	General-purpose machine gun	Belgium
Browning M2 [1]		.50 BMG	Heavy machine gun	United States
Rocket propelled grenade launchers
RPG-7 [1]		40mm	Rocket-propelled grenade	Soviet Union

Anti-tank weapons

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Caliber	Notes
Carl Gustav [1]		Recoilless rifle	Sweden	84mm
MILAN [9]		Anti-tank missile	France West Germany
BGM-71 TOW [10]		Anti-tank missile	United States

Tanks

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
SK-105 Kürassier		Light tank	Austria	20 [11]
FV101 Scorpion		Light tank	United Kingdom	25 [11]

Armoured Cars

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
Panhard VBL		Scout car	France	64 [11]

Armored personnel carriers

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
BTR-60		Armored personnel carrier	Soviet Union	50 [11]
FV103 Spartan		Armored personnel carrier	United Kingdom	6 [11]
Cadillac Gage Commando		Armored personnel carrier	United States	14 [11]
Mowag Piranha IIIC		Armored personnel carrier	Switzerland	45		Ordered in 2002, in service from 2003 [12]

Reconnaissance

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
RAM MK3		Armored Car	Israel	8 [11]
Mowag Piranha III		Armored fighting vehicle	Switzerland	45 [11]		[13]

Utility vehicles

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
ACMAT		Utility vehicle	France	150 [14]
RMMV TG MIL		Utility truck	Germany   Austria	200 [14]

Engineering Vehicles

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
M578 LRV		Armored recovery vehicle	United States	Unknown [11]
SB-20 Greif		Armored recovery vehicle	Austria	Unknown [11]

Demining vehicles

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
Aardvark JSFU		Demining vehicle	United Kingdom	Unknown [11]

Artillery

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
Self-propelled artillery
ATMOS 2000		Self-propelled artillery	Israel	12 [11]
Rocket artillery
APRA-40		Multiple rocket launcher	Soviet Union Romania	20 [11]
Field artillery
Soltam M-71		Howitzer	Israel	18 [15]
L118		Howitzer	United Kingdom	12 [11]
OTO Melara Mod 56		Howitzer	Italy	6 [11]

Air defence systems

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Status	Notes
M167 VADS		Rotary cannon	United States	7 [11]
MICA (missile)		Surface-to-air missile	France	Unknown		[16]
Javelin		Surface-to-air missile	United Kingdom	[17]		5 launchers.
9K32 Strela-2		MANPADS	Soviet Union	[18]
9K38 Igla		MANPADS	Soviet Union	[19]

River-wing equipment

• 2 × Boston Whaler Raider-class PCs (United States) ^[20]
• 10 × Panther airboats (United States) ^[20]

References

1. Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35th edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN   978-0-7106-2869-5.
2. Bonn International Center for Conversion; Bundeswehr Verification Center. "Sten MP". SALW Guide: Global distribution and visual identification. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
3. "Google Sites". sites.google.com. Archived from the original on 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
4. Binnie, Jeremy; de Cherisey, Erwan (2017). "New-model African armies" (PDF). Jane's. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 June 2017.
5. "Fleet Upgrades Licensed Programs & Custom Builds - Colt Canada". coltcanada.com. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
6. "Google Sites". sites.google.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
7. Jones & Ness 2009.
8. "Wiw_af_botswana - worldinventory". Archived from the original on 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
9. Martin, Guy (7 February 2013). "Botswana - defenceWeb". Defenceweb.co.za. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
10. International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023 (1st ed.). Routledge. ISBN   978-1032508955.
11. International Institute for Strategic Studies (2021). The Military Balance. p. 468. ISBN   9781032012278.
12. "UN Register of Conventional Arms – UNODA". disarmament.un.org. Archived from the original on 2008-12-14. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
13. "Botswana receives additional Mowag Piranha 8×8 armoured vehicles – Military Africa" . Retrieved 2023-11-15.
14. "Botswana Defence Force Order of Battle – Defence Web" . Retrieved 23 October 2018.
15. "Botswana". 7 February 2013.
16. "Botswana acquired 300 million euros of French weaponry in 2016". Defence Web. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
17. Motlogelwa, Tshireletso (13 April 2012). "Khamas monopolised Botswana Defence Force (BDF) tenders". XairForces.
18. International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (14 February 2018). "The Military Balance 2018". The Military Balance. 118.
19. Martin, Guy. "Botswana - defenceWeb". www.defenceweb.co.za. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
20. "Botswana". defenceWeb. 2013-02-07. Retrieved 2021-09-19.

Works cited

• Jones, Richard D.; Ness, Leland S., eds. (27 January 2009). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010 (35th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. ISBN   978-0-7106-2869-5.