The following is a list of active equipment of the Somali Armed Forces. Retired equipment is listed at the bottom.
| 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] |
| 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] |
| 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. | |
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“. 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] |
| 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 | |
| Model | Origin | Image | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helmets | ||||
| PASGT | United States |  | Combat helmet | Donated from Turkey [ when? ][ citation needed ] |
| FAST | United States |  | Combat helmet | Utilised by Commando Brigade, donated from Turkey. |
| Camouflage Patterns | ||||
| Desert Battle Dress Uniform | United States |  | Camouflage pattern | Bought from the U.S. in the 1980s.[ citation needed ] |
| M2008 Digital Camouflage | Turkey |  | Camouflage pattern | Donated from Turkey. [1] |
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 | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRDM-2 |  | Amphibious armored scout car |  Soviet Union | Unknown | Retired | |
| ZU-23-2 [18] |  | Autocannon | Soviet Union | Unknown | Retired |
| Name | Image | Type | Origin | Quantity | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket artillery | ||||||
| BM-21 Grad [36] |  | Multiple rocket launcher | Soviet Union | Unknown | Retired | |
The Somali Armed Forces are the military forces of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Headed by the president as commander-in-chief, they are constitutionally mandated to ensure the nation's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
The M47 Patton was an American medium tank, a development of the M46 Patton mounting an updated turret, and was in turn further developed as the M48 Patton. It was the second American tank to be named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest American advocates of tanks in battle.
The 2S1 Gvozdika is a Soviet self-propelled howitzer introduced in 1972 and is in service in Russia and other countries as of 2024. It is based on the MT-LBu multi-purpose chassis, mounting a 122 mm 2A18 howitzer. "2S1" is its GRAU designation. An alternative Russian designation is SAU-122, but in the Russian Army it is commonly known as Gvozdika. The 2S1 is fully amphibious with very little preparation, and once afloat is propelled by its tracks. A variety of track widths are available to allow the 2S1 to operate in snow or swamp conditions. It is NBC protected and has infrared night-vision capability.
The MT-LB is a Soviet multi-purpose, fully amphibious, tracked armored fighting vehicle in use since the 1970s. It was also produced in Poland, where its YaMZ engine was replaced by a Polish 6-cylinder SW 680 diesel engine.
The BTR-152 is a six-wheeled Soviet armoured personnel carrier (APC) built on the chassis and drive train of a ZIS-151 utility truck. It entered service with a number of Warsaw Pact member states beginning in 1950, and formed the mainstay of Soviet motor rifle battalions until the advent of the amphibious BTR-60 series during the 1960s. BTR stands for bronetransportyor.
The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs). It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen in public for the first time in 1961. BTR stands for bronetransportyor.
The ZU-23-2, also known as ZU-23, is a Soviet towed 23×152mm anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon. ZU stands for Zenitnaya Ustanovka – anti-aircraft mount. The GRAU index is 2A13.
The BTR-70 is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier originally developed by the Soviet Union during the late 1960s under the manufacturing code GAZ-4905. On August 21, 1972, it was accepted into Soviet service and would later be widely exported. Large quantities were also produced under license in Romania as the TAB-77.
The BTR-80 is an 8×8 wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier (APC) designed in the Soviet Union. It was adopted in 1985 and replaced the previous vehicles, the BTR-60 and BTR-70, in the Soviet Army. It was first deployed during the Soviet–Afghan War.
The BRDM-1 is a Soviet amphibious armored scout car. It was the first purpose-built Soviet reconnaissance vehicle to enter service since the BA-64 and was built on the chassis and drive train of the BTR-40 armored personnel carrier. It is the world's first mass-produced combat vehicle of its class.
The ZPU is a family of towed anti-aircraft guns based on the Soviet 14.5×114mm KPV heavy machine gun. It entered service with the Soviet Union in 1949 and is used by over 50 countries worldwide.
The Somali National Army are the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces.
The KS-19 100mm anti-aircraft gun is a Soviet anti-aircraft gun that also features efficient capabilities against ground targets.
The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) is the national intelligence agency of the Federal Republic of Somalia. It is headquartered in Mogadishu. The NISA is also closely intertwined with the Somali Armed Forces and regularly cooperates with them.
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