List of equipment of the Tanzanian Army

Last updated October 28, 2025

The equipment of the Tanzanian Army can be subdivided into infantry weapons, armoured personnel carrier and tanks.

Small arms

Name	Caliber	Type	Origin
Pistols
Browning Hi-Power ^[1]	9×19mm	Semi-automatic pistol	Belgium Canada
CZ 52 ^[2]	7.62×25mm	Semi-automatic pistol	Czechoslovakia
Stechkin APS ^[3]	9×18mm	Machine pistol	Soviet Union
Submachine guns
Sa 23 ^[1]	7.62×25mm	Submachine gun	Czechoslovakia
Sterling ^[1]	9×19mm	Submachine gun	United Kingdom
Rifles
Vz. 52 ^[4]	7.62×45mm	Semi-automatic rifle	Czechoslovakia
SKS ^[1]	7.62×39mm	Semi-automatic rifle	Soviet Union
AK ^[1]	7.62×39mm	Assault rifle	Soviet Union
AKM ^[1]	7.62×39mm	Assault rifle	Soviet Union
Type 56 ^[1]	7.62x39mm	Assault rifle	China
AMD-65 ^[5]	7.62×39mm	Assault rifle	Hungary
Vz. 58 ^[1]	7.62×39mm	Assault rifle	Czechoslovakia
IMI Galil MAR ^[6]	5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	Israel
Heckler & Koch HK33A2 ^[7]	5.56×45mm	Assault rifle	Germany
Heckler & Koch G3 ^[1]	7.62×51mm	Battle rifle	Germany
FN FAL ^[8]	7.62×51mm	Battle rifle	Belgium
Lee-Enfield ^[9]	.303 British	Bolt-action	United Kingdom
Machine guns
SG-43 ^[10]	7.62×54mmR	Medium machine gun	Soviet Union
IWI Negev ^[11]	5.56×45mm	Light machine gun	Israel
RP-46 ^[1]	7.62×54mmR	Light machine gun	Soviet Union
RPD ^[1]	7.62×39mm	Light machine gun	Soviet Union
RPK ^[1]	7.62×39mm	Squad automatic weapon	Soviet Union
UK vz. 59 ^[12]	7.62×54mmR	General-purpose machine gun	Czechoslovakia
Type 67 ^[13]	7.62×54mmR	General-purpose machine gun	China
KPV ^[14]	14.5×114mm	Heavy machine gun	Soviet Union
DShK ^[1]	12.7×108mm	Heavy machine gun	Soviet Union
Rocket propelled grenade launchers
RPG-7	40mm	Rocket-propelled grenade	Soviet Union
Grenade launchers
QLZ-87 ^[15]	35×32mm	Automatic grenade launcher	China

Anti-tank weapons

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Caliber	Notes
Type 52 ^[1]		Recoilless rifle	United States China	75mm
M18		Recoilless rifle	United States	57mm

Vehicles

Tanks

Name	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
VT-2 ^[16]	Main Battle Tank	China	5	Delivered by China from 2021
Type 59G	Main Battle Tank	China Bangladesh	15	Delivered by China from 1971–1973; all rebuilt as Type 59Gs from 2011–2013 according to SIPRI^[17]
T-54	Medium tank	Soviet Union	32	Delivered by East Germany from 1979–1980
Type 62 ^[18]	Light tank	China	66	Delivered by China from 1970–1972
Type 63 ^[18]	Light tank	China	18	Delivered by China from 1977–1979
Type 63A ^[18]	Light tank	China	24	Delivered by China from 2012–2013
FV101 Scorpion	Light tank	United Kingdom	40	Delivered by United Kingdom in 1973

Infantry fighting vehicles

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Type 07P ^[19]		Infantry fighting vehicle	China	12

Scout cars

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
BRDM-2 ^[20]		Scout car	Soviet Union	10	Delivered by Soviet Union from 1978-1979

Armored personnel carriers

Name	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
BTR-152 ^[20]	Armored personnel carrier	Soviet Union China	55	Delivered by Soviet Union and China from 1966-1979
Type 55 ^[21]	Armored personnel carrier	Soviet Union China	10
WZ-551 ^[17]	Armored personnel carrier	China	10	Delivered by China from 2011-2012

Mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Casspir ^[17]		MRAP	South Africa	5	Delivered in 2009

Utility vehicles

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
HMMWV		LUV	United States	Unknown	Vehicles sold via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program
Ashok Leyland FAT ^[22]		Heavy truck	India	Unknown

Artillery

Name	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Rocket artillery
BM-21 Grad ^[20]	Multiple rocket launcher	Soviet Union	58
A-100 ^[23]	Multiple rocket launcher	China	12	Delivered by China in 2013
Mortal carriers
PLL-05 ^[17]	Mortar carrier	China	10	Delivered in 2014
Mortars
Type 53 ^[24]	Infantry mortar	Soviet Union China	Unknown
Type 55 ^[24]	Mortar	Soviet Union China	Unknown
Field artillery
Type 54-1 ^[20]	Howitzer	Soviet Union China	80
Type 56 ^[20]	Field gun	Soviet Union China	75
Type 59-I ^[20]	Field gun	Soviet Union China	30
D-30 ^[20]	Howitzer	Soviet Union	20

Air defence systems

Man-portable air-defense systems

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
9K32 Strela-2 ^[20]		MANPADS	Soviet Union	Unknown

Towed anti-aircraft guns

Name	Type	Origin	Quantity
ZPU ^[25]	Anti-aircraft gun	Soviet Union	21
ZU-23-2 ^[25]	Autocannon	Soviet Union	40
61-K ^[26]	Autocannon	Soviet Union	120

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
↑ "World Infantry Weapons: Tanzania". World Inventory. 2014. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016 – via Google Sites.
↑ "Google Sites: Sign-in". Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
↑ Ezell 1988, p. 354.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2017-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
↑ "United Nations News Centre". UN News Service Section. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
↑ "Google Sites". sites.google.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
↑ Jones & Ness 2010, p. 916.
↑ BICC, p. 4.
↑ Hogg 1988, p. 773.
↑ Binnie, Jeremy; de Cherisey, Erwan (2017). "New-model African armies" (PDF). Jane's. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 June 2017.
↑ "Google Sites".
↑ "Google Sites".
↑ Jones & Ness 2010, p. 903.
↑ Yan 2014 , p. 8
↑ Kenyette, Patrick (14 December 2021). "Tanzania expands armoured capability with new Norinco VT-2 main battle tank". Military Africa. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
1 2 3 4 "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
1 2 3 SIPRI Arms Transfers Database
↑ "Tanzania - China Relations".
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 International Institute for Strategic Studies (2019). "Chapter Nine: Sub-Saharan Africa". The Military Balance. Vol. 119. pp. 438–502. doi:10.1080/04597222.2019.1561035.
↑ United States Army War College (August 1993). The Challenge of Chinese Arms Proliferation: U.S. Policy for the 1990s (PDF). Strategic Studies Institute (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 1, 2022.
↑ "FAT 4x4". www.ashokleyland.com. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
↑ "Tanzanian A-100 MLRS Delivered by China".
1 2 "82 mm Type 53 mortar". Jane's Infantry Weapons 1992–1993. 1992. p. 1391.
1 2 The Military Balance 2017, p. 541.
↑ The Military Balance 2016, p. 473.

Works cited

Bonn International Center for Conversion. Lee-Enfield SMLE (PDF) (Report). SALW Guide: Global distribution and visual identification. p. 3.

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[jones2009-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.

[2] "World Infantry Weapons: Tanzania". World Inventory. 2014. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016 – via Google Sites.

[3] "Google Sites: Sign-in". Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2017.

[FOOTNOTEEzell1988354-4] Ezell 1988, p. 354.

[5] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2017-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[6] "United Nations News Centre". UN News Service Section. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2014.

[7] "Google Sites". sites.google.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2018.

[FOOTNOTEJonesNess2010916-8] Jones & Ness 2010, p. 916.

[FOOTNOTEBICC4-9] BICC, p. 4.

[FOOTNOTEHogg1988773-10] Hogg 1988, p. 773.

[NMAA-11] Binnie, Jeremy; de Cherisey, Erwan (2017). "New-model African armies" (PDF). Jane's. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 June 2017.

[12] "Google Sites".

[13] "Google Sites".

[FOOTNOTEJonesNess2010903-14] Jones & Ness 2010, p. 903.

[:Yan-15] Yan 2014 , p. 8

[PT20211214-16] Kenyette, Patrick (14 December 2021). "Tanzania expands armoured capability with new Norinco VT-2 main battle tank". Military Africa. Retrieved 10 March 2022.

[SIPRI_armstrans-17] 1 2 3 4 "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 22 April 2020.

[SIPRI-18] 1 2 3 SIPRI Arms Transfers Database

[19] "Tanzania - China Relations".

[IISS2019-20] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 International Institute for Strategic Studies (2019). "Chapter Nine: Sub-Saharan Africa". The Military Balance. Vol. 119. pp. 438–502. doi:10.1080/04597222.2019.1561035.

[Gill-21] United States Army War College (August 1993). The Challenge of Chinese Arms Proliferation: U.S. Policy for the 1990s (PDF). Strategic Studies Institute (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 1, 2022.

[22] "FAT 4x4". www.ashokleyland.com. Retrieved 2024-08-27.

[23] "Tanzanian A-100 MLRS Delivered by China".

[Janes_1992-24] 1 2 "82 mm Type 53 mortar". Jane's Infantry Weapons 1992–1993. 1992. p. 1391.

[FOOTNOTEThe_Military_Balance_2017541-25] 1 2 The Military Balance 2017, p. 541.

[FOOTNOTEThe_Military_Balance_2016473-26] The Military Balance 2016, p. 473.

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