Military of Kuwait

The military of Kuwait consists of several organizations. The National Guard has its own commander, who reports directly to the minister of defense. Public security forces report to the minister of interior. Since 1999, women have served as part of the police forces.

Organization
The Military of Kuwait consists of the following organizations:

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. The Kuwaiti Army has a military base on Bubiyan Island, which has been established in 1991.

History
Kuwait was a British protectorate from 1899 until 1961 and although a succession of Emirs of the Al Sabah ruled the country, foreign affairs and defence was a British prerogative. Kuwaiti forces consisted of the Emir's guard plus a small 600-man police force or constabulary under British administration. By 1961, a British military mission had converted the constabulary into a combined a brigade of 2,500 men which also established small air and naval forces in 1961.

With its small size and enormous oil wealth, Kuwait occupies a 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.

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
The United States stations at least 5000 troops in Kuwait as part of the Defence agreement. The largest part is the US Army Central Command (ARCENT) part of the United States Central Command or USCENTCOM. US Forces current active facilities are:
 * 1) Ali Al Salem Air Base
 * 2) Camp Arifjan
 * 3) Camp Buehring
 * 4) Camp Fox
 * 5) Camp Patriot
 * 6) Camp Spearhead
 * 7) Camp Virginia
 * 8) Camp Wolf
 * 9) Kuwait International Airport
 * 10) Kuwait Naval Base
 * 11) Kuwait Navy Base
 * 12) Udairi Range

US Forces current Inactive facilities are:
 * 1) Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base
 * 2) Camp Doha
 * 3) Camp Moreell
 * 4) Camp Navistar
 * 5) Camp New York
 * 6) Camp Victory
 * 7) Failaka Island
 * 8) 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
The United States has provided military and defence technical assistance to Kuwait from both Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and commercial sources with all transactions made by direct cash sale. The US Office of Military Cooperation in Kuwait is attached to the American Embassy and manages the FMS program. US military sales to Kuwait total $5.5 billion over the last 10 years. Principal US military systems currently purchased by the Kuwait Defence Forces are Patriot missile system, F-18 Hornet fighters, and the M1A2 Main Battle Tank.

References and links

 * CIA World Factbook
 * Summary of Kuwait military power Summary of Kuwaiti military
 * Kuwaiti Military at Global security
 * Anscombe, Frederick F. (1997) [1997]. The Ottoman Gulf: The Creation of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. New York City: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-10839-3. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
 * Slot, B.J. (2005) [2005]. Mubarak Al-Sabah : Founder of Modern Kuwait 1896-1915. London: Arabian Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-9544792-4-4. Retrieved 23 September 2010.

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