Military of Ethiopia
Encyclopedia
The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) is the military of Ethiopia
. Civil direction of the military is carried out through the Ministry of Defense
, which oversees the ground forces, air force, as well as the Defense Industry Sector
. The current defense minister is Siraj Fergessa
. . Size of the ENDF has fluctuated significantly since the end of Ethiopia-Eritrea war in 2000. In 2002 the Ethiopian Defense Forces had strength of approximately 400.000 troops . This was roughly the same number maintained during the Derg
regime that fell to the rebel forces in 1991. However, that number was later reduced, and in January 2007, during the War in Somalia, Ethiopian forces were said to comprise about 300,000 troops.
At the moment, ENDF consists of two separate branches: the Ground Forces and Ethiopian Air Force
. Being a landlocked country, Ethiopia today has no navy
. Ethiopia had acquired a coastline on the Red Sea
in 1950 and created the Ethiopian Navy
in 1955. The navy operated until Eritrea
's independence, in 1991, left Ethiopia landlocked again. Ethiopia has several defence industrial organizations that produce and overhaul different weapons systems. Most of these were built under the Derg regime which had plans for a large military industrial complex. Ethiopian armed forces rely on voluntary military service of people above 18 years of age. Although there is no compulsory military service, armed forces may conduct call-ups when necessary and compliance is compulsory.
The Ethiopian army's origins and military traditions span back through the nation's long history
. Due to Ethiopia's location at the crossroads between the Middle East and Africa, it has long been in the middle of Eastern and Western politics, and its army has been tested for many centuries by foreign aggression. From the Egyptian aggression to Ottoman invasion, to the European invasion at Adwa
and concerns from the 21st century global war on terror
, the country has tackled several instances of foreign aggression.
In 1579, the Ottoman
attempt to expand from a coastal base at Massawa
was defeated. Ethiopia was also able to defeat the Egyptians in 1868 at Gura, led by Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes IV.
European opinion about Ethiopia (also known as Abyssinia by some Europeans) was that the, "Abyssinians are suffering from a 'superiority complex' which may be traced to Gundet, Gura and Adwa"
Ethiopia's modern military history customarily dates from its response to the European colonial expansion of the 19th century during the Scramble for Africa
, during which it maintained its independence by defeating the army of the Kingdom of Italy
in the Battle of Adwa.
, it was the decisive battle of the First Italo–Ethiopian War. Assisted by all of the major nobles of Ethiopia including, Negus
, Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam
, Ras Makonnen
, Ras Mengesha Yohannes
, and Ras Mikael of Wollo
, Emperor Menelek II of Ethiopia
not only struck a powerful blow against the Italians, but also to contemporary racial prejudices. In the words of historian-anglophile Bahru Zewde, "It was a victory of blacks over whites."
The Ethiopian army had been able to execute the strategic plan of Menelik's headquarters, despite a feudal system of organization and adverse circumstances. In addition to the bravery of the Ethiopian soldiers, a special role was played by the Russian military advisers and the volunteers of Leontiev's mission.
The first problem was the quality of its arms, as the Italian and British colonial authorities was able to sabotage the transportation of 60,000-100,000 modern Berdan rifles from Russia into landlocked Ethiopia.
Secondly, the Ethiopian army was based on a feudal system of organization, and as a result, nearly the entire army was a peasant militia. Russian military experts advising Menelik II suggested trying to achieve full battle collision with Italians, to neutralize the superior fire power of their opponent, which might nullify their problems with arms, training, and organization, rather than engaging in a campaign of harassment. In the battle that ensued wave upon wave of Menelik's warriors successfully attacked the Italians.
1899-1902. The Ethiopian army became more effective against British colonial forces. The numerous expeditions of Ethiopian forces stopped colonial expansion. As the Russian Alexander Bulatovich
, one of the Russian military advisers and a participant in the expedition of the legendary army of Ras Wolde Giyorgis, wrote: "Many consider the Abyssinian army to be undisciplined. They think that it is not in any condition to withstand a serious fight with a well-organized European army, claiming that the recent war with Italy doesn't prove anything. I will not begin to guess the future, and will say only this. Over the course of four months, I watched this army closely. It is unique in the world. And I can bear witness to the fact that it is not quite so chaotic as it seems at first glance, and that on the contrary, it is profoundly disciplined, though in its own unique way. For every Abyssinian, war is normal business, and military skills and rules of army life in the field enter in the flesh and blood of each of them, just as do the main principles of tactics. On the march, each soldier knows how to arrange necessary comforts for himself and to conserve his strength; but on the other hand, when necessary, he shows such endurance and is capable of action in conditions which are difficult even to imagine.
You see remarkable expediency in all the actions and skills of this army; and each soldier has an amazingly intelligent attitude toward managing the mission of the battle.
Despite such qualities, because of its impetuousness, it is much more difficult to control this army than a well-drilled European army, and I can only marvel at and admire the skill of its leaders and chiefs, of which there is no shortage."
In obedience to the agreement with Russia and the order of Menelik II, First Ethiopian officers began to be trained at the First Russian cadet school in 1901. 30-40 Ethiopian officers were trained in Russia from 1901-1913.
at Saint-Cyr
or by Belgian military advisers. He also created his own military school at Holeta in January 1935.
However, these efforts were not sufficient nor instituted in enough time to stop the rising tide of Italian fascism
. Ethiopia lost its independence in the Italian invasion of Ethiopia of 1935-36. The country regained its independence after the 1941 East African Campaign
of World War II
with the intervention of forces from the British Commonwealth
.
In keeping with the principle of collective security
, for which Haile Selassie was an outspoken proponent, Ethiopia sent a contingent under General Mulugueta Bulli, known as the Kagnew Battalion
, to take part in the Korean War
. It was attached to the American 7th Infantry Division, and fought in a number of engagements including the Battle of Pork Chop Hill
. 3,518 Ethiopian troops served in the war, where 121 were killed and 536 wounded during the Korean War
.
("Committee"), Emperor Haile Selassie carefully divided the Ethiopian military into separate commands. The US Army Handbook for Ethiopia notes that each service was provided with training and equipped from different foreign countries "to assure reliability and retention of power." The military consisted of the following: Imperial Bodyguard (also known as the "First Division", 8,000 men); three army divisions; services which included the Airborne, Engineers, and Signal Corps; the Territorial Army (5,000 men); and the police (28,000 men).
When the Derg gained control of Ethiopia, they shifted their source for the equipment, organization and training away from Western European and American governments towards those of the Soviet Union
and other Comecon
countries, especially Cuba
.
During this period, Ethiopian forces were often locked in counter-insurgency
campaigns against various guerrilla groups. They honed both conventional and guerrilla tactics during campaigns in Eritrea, and the Ethiopian Civil War
that toppled Ethiopian former military dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam
in 1991 and also by repelling an invasion launched by Somalia
in the 1977–1978 Ogaden War
.
The Ethiopian army grew considerably during this time under the Derg (1974–1987), and the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
under Mengistu (1987–1991), especially during the latter regime. Gebru Tareke describes the organization of the Ethiopian military in early 1990, a year before Mengistu fled the country:
Estimated forces under arms increased dramatically:
Cuba provided a significant influx of military advisors and troops over this period, with the largest escalation during the Ogaden War with Somalia, supported by a Soviet airlift:
(PFDJ, former EPLF), Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
(EPRDF), Oromo Liberation Front
(OLF) and other opposition factions during a decades long civil war. Mengistu's People's Militia had also grown to about 200,000 members. The mechanized forces of the army comprised 1,200 T-54/55, 100 T-62
tanks, and 1,100 armored personnel carriers (APCs), but readiness was estimated to be only about 30% operational, because of the withdrawal of financial support, lack of maintenance expertise and parts from the Soviet Union, Cuba and other nations.
The army commands consisted of the following:
To these armies were assigned the operational forces of the army, comprising:
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, and with the rise of radical Islamism
, Ethiopia again turned to the Western powers for alliance and assistance. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Ethiopian army began to train with US forces based out of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) established in Djibouti
, in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. Ethiopia allowed the US to station military advisors at Camp Hurso. Part of the training at Camp Hurso has included U.S. Army elements, including 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry, training the 12th, 13th and 14th Division Reconnaissance Companies, which from July 2003 were being formed into a new Ethiopian anti-terrorism battalion.
of 1998. The war was fought over the disputed region of Badme. Following the war's end, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, a body founded by the UN, established that the Badme region had in fact belonged to Eritrea. Although the two countries are now at peace, Ethiopia rejected the results of the international court's decision, and continued to occupy Badme. Most observers agree that Ethiopia's rejection of international law, coupled with the high numbers of soldiers maintained on the border by each side - a debilitatingly high number, particularly for the Eritrean side - means that the two countries are effectively still in conflict.
.
The modern ENDF has a wide mix of equipment. Many of its major weapons systems stem from the Communist era and are of Soviet and Eastern bloc design. The United States
was Ethiopia's major arms supplier from the end of World War II until 1977, when Ethiopia began receiving massive arms shipments from the Soviet Union. These shipments, including armored patrol boats, transport and jet fighter aircraft, helicopters, tanks, trucks, missiles, artillery, and small arms have incurred an unserviced Ethiopian debt to the former Soviet Union estimated at more than $3.5 billion.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies
estimated in the Military Balance 2009 that the army comprised 4 Military Regional Commands; (Northern (HQ Mekele.), Western, Central, and Eastern) each acting as corps HQ. There was also a Support Command and a strategic reserve of 4 divisions and 6 specialist brigades centred on Addis Ababa.
Each of the four corps comprised a headquarters and an estimated one mechanised division and between 4-6 infantry divisions.
One identified division is the 25th.
31st Division Commander, Colonel Tsegaye Marx, Tigre
2. 33rd Division Commander, Colonel Kidane, Tigre
3. 35th Division
4. 24th Division
5. 22nd Division
6. 14th Division
7. 21st Division
8. 11th Division
9. 25th Division
10. 20th Division
11. 8th Mechanized Division,
12. 4th Mechanized Division,
13. 19th Division
14. 44th Division
15. 13th Division
16. 12th Division
17. 32nd Division
18. 6th Mech. Division
19. 23rd Division
20. 43rd Division
21. 26th Division
22. 7th Mech. Division
and African Union
peacekeeping missions. These have included the Ivory Coast, on the Burundi border, and in Rwanda.
Two major Ethiopian missions are in LIberia and Darfur. The United Nations Mission in Liberia
(UNMIL) was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1509
, of 19 September 2003, to support the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the peace process, protect United Nations staff, facilities and civilians, support humanitarian and human rights activities; as well as assist in national security reform, including national police training and formation of a new, restructured military.
In November 2007, nearly 1,800 Ethiopian troops serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) were presented with UN Peacekeeping medals for their "invaluable contribution to the peace process."
Up to three Ethiopian battalions used to constitute Sector 4 of the UN Mission, covering the southern part of the country.
Many thousands of Ethiopian peacekeepers are involved in the joint African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur, western Sudan. The Security Council authorized a UNAMID force of about 26,000 uniformed personnel.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. Civil direction of the military is carried out through the Ministry of Defense
Ministry of Defense (Ethiopia)
The Ministry of National Defense of Ethiopia is a cabinet level office in charge of defense related matters of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia...
, which oversees the ground forces, air force, as well as the Defense Industry Sector
Defense Industry Sector (Ethiopia)
The Ethiopian Defense Industry sector is an office under the Ministry of Defense responsible for administering several defense industries. Its objective is to provide for and support the Ethiopian National Defense Force.-History:...
. The current defense minister is Siraj Fergessa
Siraj Fergessa
Siraj Fegessa is Minister of Defense of Ethiopia. He is a Muslim, a member of the Silte people, as well as a member of the South Ethiopian Peoples' Democratic Front, which is part of the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front.From 2006 until his appointment as...
. . Size of the ENDF has fluctuated significantly since the end of Ethiopia-Eritrea war in 2000. In 2002 the Ethiopian Defense Forces had strength of approximately 400.000 troops . This was roughly the same number maintained during the Derg
Derg
The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of...
regime that fell to the rebel forces in 1991. However, that number was later reduced, and in January 2007, during the War in Somalia, Ethiopian forces were said to comprise about 300,000 troops.
At the moment, ENDF consists of two separate branches: the Ground Forces and Ethiopian Air Force
Ethiopian Air Force
The Ethiopian Air Force is the air arm of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and is tasked with protecting the air space, providing support to the ground forces as well as assisting during national emergencies.- Early years :...
. Being a landlocked country, Ethiopia today has no navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
. Ethiopia had acquired a coastline on the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
in 1950 and created the Ethiopian Navy
Ethiopian Navy
The Ethiopian Navy was a branch of the Ethiopian National Defense Force that existed from 1955 until 1991. It was disestablished after the independence of Eritrea, which left Ethiopia landlocked.-Founding of the navy:...
in 1955. The navy operated until Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
's independence, in 1991, left Ethiopia landlocked again. Ethiopia has several defence industrial organizations that produce and overhaul different weapons systems. Most of these were built under the Derg regime which had plans for a large military industrial complex. Ethiopian armed forces rely on voluntary military service of people above 18 years of age. Although there is no compulsory military service, armed forces may conduct call-ups when necessary and compliance is compulsory.
History of the Army
History of Ethiopia
This article covers the prehistory and history of Ethiopia.-Prehistory:Lucy, discovered in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia's Afar region, is considered the world's second-oldest, but most complete and best preserved, adult Australopithecine fossil...
. Due to Ethiopia's location at the crossroads between the Middle East and Africa, it has long been in the middle of Eastern and Western politics, and its army has been tested for many centuries by foreign aggression. From the Egyptian aggression to Ottoman invasion, to the European invasion at Adwa
Adwa
Adwa is a market town in northern Ethiopia, and best known as the community closest to the decisive Battle of Adowa fought in 1896 with Italian troops. Notably, Ethiopian soldiers won the battle, thus being the only African nation to thwart European colonialism...
and concerns from the 21st century global war on terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
, the country has tackled several instances of foreign aggression.
In 1579, the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
attempt to expand from a coastal base at Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
was defeated. Ethiopia was also able to defeat the Egyptians in 1868 at Gura, led by Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes IV.
European opinion about Ethiopia (also known as Abyssinia by some Europeans) was that the, "Abyssinians are suffering from a 'superiority complex' which may be traced to Gundet, Gura and Adwa"
Ethiopia's modern military history customarily dates from its response to the European colonial expansion of the 19th century during the Scramble for Africa
Scramble for Africa
The Scramble for Africa, also known as the Race for Africa or Partition of Africa was a process of invasion, occupation, colonization and annexation of African territory by European powers during the New Imperialism period, between 1881 and World War I in 1914...
, during which it maintained its independence by defeating the army of the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
in the Battle of Adwa.
Battle of Adwa
The Battle of Adowa (also known as Adwa or sometimes by the Italian name Adua) is the best known victory of Ethiopian forces over invaders. It maintained Ethiopia's existence as an independent state. Fought on 1 March 1896 against the Kingdom of Italy near the town of AdwaAdwa
Adwa is a market town in northern Ethiopia, and best known as the community closest to the decisive Battle of Adowa fought in 1896 with Italian troops. Notably, Ethiopian soldiers won the battle, thus being the only African nation to thwart European colonialism...
, it was the decisive battle of the First Italo–Ethiopian War. Assisted by all of the major nobles of Ethiopia including, Negus
Negus
Negus is a title in Ge'ez, Tigrinya, Tigre and Amharic, used for a king and at times also a vassal ruler in pre-1974 Ethiopia and pre-1890 Eritrea. It is subsequently used to translate the word "king" in Biblical and other literature...
, Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam
Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam
Tekle Haymanot Tessemma, also Adal Tessemma, Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam, and Tekle Haimanot of Gojjam, was an army commander and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire.- Biography :...
, Ras Makonnen
Ras Makonnen
Ras Mäkonnen Wäldä-Mika'él Guddisa, also Makonnen Wolde Mikael Gudessa or simply as Ras Makonnen, was a general and the governor of Harar province in Ethiopia, and the father of Tafari Mäkonnen, later known as the Emperor Haile Selassie I. His father was Fitawrari Woldemikael Guddessa of a noble...
, Ras Mengesha Yohannes
Ras Mengesha Yohannes
Mengesha Yohannes was the "natural" son of Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia, Ras of Tigray, and, as a claimant of the Imperial throne, is often given the title of Leul. Ras Araya Selassie Yohannes was his older half brother.-Biography:Prior to the Battle of Metemma, Mengesha Yohannes was...
, and Ras Mikael of Wollo
Mikael of Wollo
Mikael of Wollo , born Mohammed Ali, was an army commander and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire. He was the father of the "uncrowned" Emperor Iyasu V. He changed his name to Mikael upon converting to Christianity.- Life :Mohammed Ali, an Oromo, was born in Wollo...
, Emperor Menelek II of Ethiopia
Menelek II of Ethiopia
Emperor Menelik II GCB, GCMG, baptized as Sahle Maryam , was Negus of Shewa , then of Ethiopia from 1889 to his death. At the height of his internal power and external prestige, the process of territorial expansion and creation of the modern empire-state had been completed by 1898...
not only struck a powerful blow against the Italians, but also to contemporary racial prejudices. In the words of historian-anglophile Bahru Zewde, "It was a victory of blacks over whites."
The Ethiopian army had been able to execute the strategic plan of Menelik's headquarters, despite a feudal system of organization and adverse circumstances. In addition to the bravery of the Ethiopian soldiers, a special role was played by the Russian military advisers and the volunteers of Leontiev's mission.
The first problem was the quality of its arms, as the Italian and British colonial authorities was able to sabotage the transportation of 60,000-100,000 modern Berdan rifles from Russia into landlocked Ethiopia.
Secondly, the Ethiopian army was based on a feudal system of organization, and as a result, nearly the entire army was a peasant militia. Russian military experts advising Menelik II suggested trying to achieve full battle collision with Italians, to neutralize the superior fire power of their opponent, which might nullify their problems with arms, training, and organization, rather than engaging in a campaign of harassment. In the battle that ensued wave upon wave of Menelik's warriors successfully attacked the Italians.
Boundary confrontation ("cold" war) against the British colonialists 1896-1899
After the successful colonial capture of the Sudan, Kenya and Uganda, the British expansion against Ethiopia became a real danger, which diminished only after the start of the Second Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
1899-1902. The Ethiopian army became more effective against British colonial forces. The numerous expeditions of Ethiopian forces stopped colonial expansion. As the Russian Alexander Bulatovich
Alexander Bulatovich
Alexander Ksaverievich Bulatovich tonsured Father Antony was a Russian military officer, explorer of Africa, writer, hieromonk and the leader of imiaslavie movement in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.-Biography:...
, one of the Russian military advisers and a participant in the expedition of the legendary army of Ras Wolde Giyorgis, wrote: "Many consider the Abyssinian army to be undisciplined. They think that it is not in any condition to withstand a serious fight with a well-organized European army, claiming that the recent war with Italy doesn't prove anything. I will not begin to guess the future, and will say only this. Over the course of four months, I watched this army closely. It is unique in the world. And I can bear witness to the fact that it is not quite so chaotic as it seems at first glance, and that on the contrary, it is profoundly disciplined, though in its own unique way. For every Abyssinian, war is normal business, and military skills and rules of army life in the field enter in the flesh and blood of each of them, just as do the main principles of tactics. On the march, each soldier knows how to arrange necessary comforts for himself and to conserve his strength; but on the other hand, when necessary, he shows such endurance and is capable of action in conditions which are difficult even to imagine.
You see remarkable expediency in all the actions and skills of this army; and each soldier has an amazingly intelligent attitude toward managing the mission of the battle.
Despite such qualities, because of its impetuousness, it is much more difficult to control this army than a well-drilled European army, and I can only marvel at and admire the skill of its leaders and chiefs, of which there is no shortage."
In obedience to the agreement with Russia and the order of Menelik II, First Ethiopian officers began to be trained at the First Russian cadet school in 1901. 30-40 Ethiopian officers were trained in Russia from 1901-1913.
Under Haile Selassie I
Modernization of the army took place under the regency of Tafari Mekonnen, who later reigned as Emperor Haile Selassie I. He created an Imperial Bodyguard, the Kebur Zabagna, in 1917 from the earlier Mahal Safari who had traditionally attended the Ethiopian Emperor. Its elite were trained at the French military academyMilitary academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps of the army, the navy, air force or coast guard, which normally provides education in a service environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned.Three...
at Saint-Cyr
École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr is the foremost French military academy. Its official name is . It is often referred to as Saint-Cyr . Its motto is "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre": literally "They study to vanquish" or "Training for victory"...
or by Belgian military advisers. He also created his own military school at Holeta in January 1935.
However, these efforts were not sufficient nor instituted in enough time to stop the rising tide of Italian fascism
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
. Ethiopia lost its independence in the Italian invasion of Ethiopia of 1935-36. The country regained its independence after the 1941 East African Campaign
East African Campaign (World War II)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with the intervention of forces from the British Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
.
Pre-World War II military equipment
- Mauser C-96\M-1932 Pistol
- FN Model-24 Rifle
Belgium - ZB Vz-24 7.92mm Rifle
Czechoslovakia - 25,000x Mauser Model 1934\1933 7.92mm
Nazi Germany - ZH-29 Semiautomatic Rifle Czechoslovakia
- Lee Metfords Rifle
- Vetterlis Rifle
- Lebel Rifle
Early Modern France - Mosin-Nagant Rifle
Russian Empire - Mannlicher Rifle
- MP-35 SMG Nazi Germany
- 175x FN Model-30 BAR Type 7.92mm LMG Belgium
- 450x ZB Vz-30 7.92mm LMG Czechoslovakia
- 7x Vickers HMG(for RR Armored Cars)
- Hotchkiss Model-1914 HMG Early Modern France
- Madsen Model-1934\1935 MG
Denmark - Hotchkiss Mod.1922 LMG Early Modern France
- Breda MG(Captured)
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) - 7xBritish mark IV tank ( six Imperial Ethiopian Army and one Harar army).
- 3x Peerless 1915.
- 3x Fiat FT-3000 \ Mod-30 with short 37mm Gun Light Tank(Renault FT-17) Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) Early Modern France
- 3x Fiat FT-3000 \ Mod-29 with 2xMG Light Tank(Renault FT-17) Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) Early Modern France
- 18x Caro-Armato CV-33(L-3\33)with 6.5mm MG Tankette Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
- 7x Rolls- Royes Armored Car with Vickers HMG
- 7x Ford Type-A Assault Car
- 7x Fiat Assault Car Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
- 1x Radio Station(at Akaki Airfield)
- 40x M-1897 75mm Gun Early Modern France
- 50x Russian M-1883 65mm Gun Russian Empire
- Skoda Howitzers type unknown,ordered not delivered Czechoslovakia
- 56x M-1885 Italian Mountain Gun 70mm\2.75 inch(Captured) Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
- 37mm Semi-Automatic Guns
- 10x Pak-1935\1936 37mm ATG Nazi Germany
- 6x Krupp FH-18 105mm Howitzer(ordered,not delivered) Nazi Germany
- 6x Stokes Brandt Mortars Early Modern France
- 40 Brandt Mod.1929 81.4 Mortars Early Modern France
- Beoker(Oerlikon )20mm AAG
- Oerlikon Model-S AAG
- Semag Oerlikon Model-1923 AAG
Aircraft of the pre-WWII Ethiopian Air-Force
- 1x Airspeed AS-8 ViceroyAirspeed Viceroy|-See also:-References:* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft . Orbis Publishing.* Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1. London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.-External links:* * *...
(not delivered) Bomber - 1x Breguet BRE-19Breguet 19The Breguet 19 was a light bomber and reconnaissance plane, also used for long-distance flights, designed by the French Breguet company and produced from 1924.-Development:...
Early Modern FranceLight Bomber - 6-12x Potez 25A-2Potez 25|-See also:*Aerial operations in the Chaco War-References:Heinonen, Timo Heinonen: Thulinista Hornetiin, Keski-Suomen ilmailumuseon julkaisuja 3, 1992. ISBN 951-95688-2-4.-External links:* *...
Early Modern FranceFighter/Light Bomber - 3-5x Fieseler Stosser (not delivered) Nazi GermanyRecon/Light Bomber
- 1x Heinkel HD-21
GermanyTrainer/Fighter - 1x Breda BA-15Breda Ba.15|-See also:-References:* * "La Contribución Italiana en la Aviación Paraguaya". Antonio Luis Sapienza Fracchia. Author's edition. Asunción, 2007. 300pp....
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)Trainer - 1x Breda BA-25Breda Ba.25|-See also:-External links:**...
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)Trainer - 1x de Havilland DH.60 MothDe Havilland DH.60 MothThe de Havilland DH 60 Moth was a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:The DH 60 was developed from the larger DH 51 biplane...
DEH DH-60 Gipsy-Moth Trainer - 10x DEH DH-82 Tiger-MothDe Havilland Tiger MothThe de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
Trainer - 1x DEH DH-84 DragonDe Havilland Dragon|-See also:-References:Bibliography ISBN 0-85177-813-5...
Utility - 2x Beech B-17 StaggerwingBeechcraft StaggerwingThe Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing is an American biplane with an atypical negative stagger , that first flew in 1932.-Development:...
Utility - 1x Morane-SaulnierMorane-SaulnierAéroplanes Morane-Saulnier is a French aircraft manufacturing company formed in October 1911 by Raymond Saulnier and the Morane brothers, Leon and Robert...
(type unknown) Early Modern FranceTrainer - 1x GER A/C
German EmpireUtility - 2x Farman F-192Farman F.190|-References:*...
Early Modern FranceUtility - 1x Fiat AS-1Fiat AS.1-External links:* in Flight, April 4, 1930...
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)Utility - 1x Fokker F.VII-AFokker F.VIIThe Fokker F.VII, also known as the Fokker Trimotor, was an airliner produced in the 1920s by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, Fokker's American subsidiary Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, and other companies under licence....
Transport - 1x Fokker F.VIII-A/3MFokker F.VIII-See also:-References:*de Leeuv, Fokker Commercial Aircraft, . Fokker. The Hague, Haagste Drukkerij*A.J.Jackson, British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972 -See also:-References:*de Leeuv, Fokker Commercial Aircraft, (1994). Fokker. The Hague, Haagste Drukkerij*A.J.Jackson, British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972...
Transport - 2x Fokker F.XVIIIFokker F.XVIII-External links:* *...
Transport - 1x Weber Meindl Van-Nes A.VII (Ethiopia-1)
AustriaUtility - 1x Junkers W.33CJunkers W 33The Junkers W 33 was a German-built singled-engine transport aircraft. It was aerodynamically and structurally advanced for its time , a clean, low-wing all metal cantilever monoplane. Almost 200 were produced...
GermanyUtility
Korean War
Collective security
Collective security can be understood as a security arrangement, regional or global, in which each state in the system accepts that the security of one is the concern of all, and agrees to join in a collective response to threats to, and breaches of, the peace...
, for which Haile Selassie was an outspoken proponent, Ethiopia sent a contingent under General Mulugueta Bulli, known as the Kagnew Battalion
Kagnew Battalion
The Kagnew Battalions were three successive battalions drawn from the 1st Division Imperial Bodyguard sent by Emperor Haile SelassieI between June 1951 and April 1954 as part of the United Nations forces in the Korean War....
, to take part in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. It was attached to the American 7th Infantry Division, and fought in a number of engagements including the Battle of Pork Chop Hill
Battle of Pork Chop Hill
The Battle of Pork Chop Hill comprises a pair of related Korean War infantry battles during the spring and summer of 1953. These were fought while the U.S. and the Communist Chinese and Koreans negotiated an armistice. In the U.S., they were controversial because of the many soldiers killed for...
. 3,518 Ethiopian troops served in the war, where 121 were killed and 536 wounded during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
After the Ethiopian Revolution
At the beginning of the Ethiopian Revolution, which led to rule by a junta of military officers known as the DergDerg
The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of...
("Committee"), Emperor Haile Selassie carefully divided the Ethiopian military into separate commands. The US Army Handbook for Ethiopia notes that each service was provided with training and equipped from different foreign countries "to assure reliability and retention of power." The military consisted of the following: Imperial Bodyguard (also known as the "First Division", 8,000 men); three army divisions; services which included the Airborne, Engineers, and Signal Corps; the Territorial Army (5,000 men); and the police (28,000 men).
When the Derg gained control of Ethiopia, they shifted their source for the equipment, organization and training away from Western European and American governments towards those of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and other Comecon
Comecon
The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance , 1949–1991, was an economic organisation under hegemony of Soviet Union comprising the countries of the Eastern Bloc along with a number of communist states elsewhere in the world...
countries, especially Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
During this period, Ethiopian forces were often locked in counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
campaigns against various guerrilla groups. They honed both conventional and guerrilla tactics during campaigns in Eritrea, and the Ethiopian Civil War
Ethiopian Civil War
The Ethiopian Civil War began on September 12, 1974 when the Marxist Derg staged a coup d'état against Emperor Haile Selassie, and lasted until the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front , a coalition of rebel groups, overthrew the government in 1991. The war overlapped other Cold War...
that toppled Ethiopian former military dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mengistu Haile Mariam is a politician who was formerly the most prominent officer of the Derg, the Communist military junta that governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, and the President of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 1987 to 1991...
in 1991 and also by repelling an invasion launched by Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
in the 1977–1978 Ogaden War
Ogaden War
The Ogaden War was a conventional conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia in 1977 and 1978 over the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. In a notable illustration of the nature of Cold War alliances, the Soviet Union switched from supplying aid to Somalia to supporting Ethiopia, which had previously been...
.
The Ethiopian army grew considerably during this time under the Derg (1974–1987), and the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
The People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was the official name of Ethiopia from 1987 to 1991, as established by the Communist government of Mengistu Haile Mariam and the Workers' Party of Ethiopia...
under Mengistu (1987–1991), especially during the latter regime. Gebru Tareke describes the organization of the Ethiopian military in early 1990, a year before Mengistu fled the country:
- Ethiopian ground forces comprised four revolutionary armies organized as task forces, eleven corps, twenty-four infantry divisions, and four mountain divisions, reinforced by five mechanized divisions, two airborne divisions, and ninety-five brigades, including four mechanized brigades, three artillery brigades, four tank brigades, twelve special commando and paracommando brigades -- including the Spartakiad, which became operational in 1987 under the preparation and guidance of North Koreans -- seven BM-rocketMultiple rocket launcherA multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns...
battalions, and ten brigades of paramilitary forces.
Estimated forces under arms increased dramatically:
- 1974: 41,000 (Ethiopian Revolution)
- 1977: 50,000 (Ogaden WarOgaden WarThe Ogaden War was a conventional conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia in 1977 and 1978 over the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. In a notable illustration of the nature of Cold War alliances, the Soviet Union switched from supplying aid to Somalia to supporting Ethiopia, which had previously been...
) - 1979: 65,000
- 1991: 230,000 (overthrow of Mengistu)
Cuba provided a significant influx of military advisors and troops over this period, with the largest escalation during the Ogaden War with Somalia, supported by a Soviet airlift:
- 1977–1978: 17,000 (Ogaden WarOgaden WarThe Ogaden War was a conventional conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia in 1977 and 1978 over the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. In a notable illustration of the nature of Cold War alliances, the Soviet Union switched from supplying aid to Somalia to supporting Ethiopia, which had previously been...
) - 1978: 12,000
- 1984: 3,000
- 1989: All forces withdrawn
1991 Order of Battle
By 1991, the Ethiopian army under the Mengistu government had grown in size, but the regime was overcome by the People's Front for Democracy and JusticePeople's Front for Democracy and Justice
The People's Front for Democracy and Justice is the current ruling political movement in Eritrea. It is nominally and often considered African socialist and holds itself open to nationalists of any political affiliation. It is the successor to the Eritrean People's Liberation Front...
(PFDJ, former EPLF), Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front is the ruling political coalition in Ethiopia. It is an alliance of four other groups: the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization , the Amhara National Democratic Movement , the South Ethiopian Peoples' Democratic Front The Ethiopian People's...
(EPRDF), Oromo Liberation Front
Oromo Liberation Front
The Oromo Liberation Front , or OLF, is an organization established in 1973 by Oromo nationalists to promote self-determination for the Oromo people against what they call "Abyssinian colonial rule". It has been outlawed and labeled as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government...
(OLF) and other opposition factions during a decades long civil war. Mengistu's People's Militia had also grown to about 200,000 members. The mechanized forces of the army comprised 1,200 T-54/55, 100 T-62
T-62
The T-62 is a Soviet main battle tank, a further development of the T-55. Its 115 mm gun was the first smoothbore tank gun in use.The T-62 was produced between 1961 and 1975. It became a standard tank in the Soviet arsenal, partly replacing the T-55, although that tank continued to be...
tanks, and 1,100 armored personnel carriers (APCs), but readiness was estimated to be only about 30% operational, because of the withdrawal of financial support, lack of maintenance expertise and parts from the Soviet Union, Cuba and other nations.
The army commands consisted of the following:
- First Revolutionary Army (headquartered at HararHararHarar is an eastern city in Ethiopia, and the capital of the modern Harari ethno-political division of Ethiopia...
) - Second Revolutionary Army (headquartered at Asmera)
- Third Revolutionary Army (headquartered at KombolchaKombolchaKombolcha is a city and woreda in north-central Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, it has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation between 1842 and 1915 meters above sea level...
) - Fourth Revolutionary Army (headquartered at NekemteNekemteNekemte is a market town in western Ethiopia. Located in the Misraq Welega Zone of the Oromia Region , Nekemte has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2,088 meters....
) - Fifth Revolutionary Army (headquartered at GondarGondarGondar or Gonder is a city in Ethiopia, which was once the old imperial capital and capital of the historic Begemder Province. As a result, the old province of Begemder is sometimes referred to as Gondar...
)
To these armies were assigned the operational forces of the army, comprising:
- 31 infantryInfantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
divisionDivision (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
s - 32 tankTankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
battalionBattalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s - 40 artilleryArtilleryOriginally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
battalionBattalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s - 12 air defense battalionBattalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s - 8 commandoCommandoIn English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
brigadeBrigadeA brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s
War on Terror
Since the fall of Mengistu, the Ethiopian army under the EPRDF party was called into service fighting counter-insurgency campaigns, and also fought against the newly independent Eritrea and joined America's "war on terror" by driving the Islamic Courts Union out of Mogadishu in the War in Somalia.With the collapse of the Soviet Union, and with the rise of radical Islamism
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
, Ethiopia again turned to the Western powers for alliance and assistance. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Ethiopian army began to train with US forces based out of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) established in Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
, in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. Ethiopia allowed the US to station military advisors at Camp Hurso. Part of the training at Camp Hurso has included U.S. Army elements, including 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry, training the 12th, 13th and 14th Division Reconnaissance Companies, which from July 2003 were being formed into a new Ethiopian anti-terrorism battalion.
The Ethiopia-Eritrea war
The former allies EPRDF and PFDJ (former EPLF) led their countries Ethiopia and Eritrea, respectively, into the Eritrean-Ethiopian WarEritrean-Ethiopian War
The Eritrean–Ethiopian War took place from May 1998 to June 2000 between Ethiopia and Eritrea, forming one of the conflicts in the Horn of Africa...
of 1998. The war was fought over the disputed region of Badme. Following the war's end, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, a body founded by the UN, established that the Badme region had in fact belonged to Eritrea. Although the two countries are now at peace, Ethiopia rejected the results of the international court's decision, and continued to occupy Badme. Most observers agree that Ethiopia's rejection of international law, coupled with the high numbers of soldiers maintained on the border by each side - a debilitatingly high number, particularly for the Eritrean side - means that the two countries are effectively still in conflict.
Somalia
Ethiopia sent troops to southern Somalia to help the UN backed weak transitional government. The TFG, Ethiopia and Puntland fought together against al Shabab and other radical islamists to take over the capital Mogadishu. After the islamists split into two groups, moderate islamists led by Sheikh Ahmed signed a UN backed peace deal with the TFG and established a larger government in Mogadishu. Ethiopian troops withdrew as part of the terms of the peace deal. Government forces have been engaged in battle against Ogaden insurgents led by the Ogaden National Liberation FrontOgaden National Liberation Front
The Ogaden National Liberation Front , is a separatist rebel group fighting to make the region of Ogaden in eastern Ethiopia an independent state...
.
Ground Forces
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was Ethiopia's major arms supplier from the end of World War II until 1977, when Ethiopia began receiving massive arms shipments from the Soviet Union. These shipments, including armored patrol boats, transport and jet fighter aircraft, helicopters, tanks, trucks, missiles, artillery, and small arms have incurred an unserviced Ethiopian debt to the former Soviet Union estimated at more than $3.5 billion.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies
International Institute for Strategic Studies
The International Institute for Strategic Studies is a British research institute in the area of international affairs. It describes itself as "the world’s leading authority on political-military conflict"...
estimated in the Military Balance 2009 that the army comprised 4 Military Regional Commands; (Northern (HQ Mekele.), Western, Central, and Eastern) each acting as corps HQ. There was also a Support Command and a strategic reserve of 4 divisions and 6 specialist brigades centred on Addis Ababa.
Each of the four corps comprised a headquarters and an estimated one mechanised division and between 4-6 infantry divisions.
One identified division is the 25th.
31st Division Commander, Colonel Tsegaye Marx, Tigre
2. 33rd Division Commander, Colonel Kidane, Tigre
3. 35th Division
4. 24th Division
5. 22nd Division
6. 14th Division
7. 21st Division
8. 11th Division
9. 25th Division
10. 20th Division
11. 8th Mechanized Division,
12. 4th Mechanized Division,
13. 19th Division
14. 44th Division
15. 13th Division
16. 12th Division
17. 32nd Division
18. 6th Mech. Division
19. 23rd Division
20. 43rd Division
21. 26th Division
22. 7th Mech. Division
Infantry weapons
| Name | Type | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makarov Makarov PM The PM is a semi-automatic pistol design. Under the project leadership of Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov, it became the Soviet Union's standard military side arm from 1951-1991.-Development:... |
Semi-automatic pistol | ||
| Beretta Model 38 | Sub-machinegun | ||
| UZI | Sub-machinegun | ||
| AK-103 AK-103 The AK-103 is a modern, Russian-designed version of the famous AKM assault rifle, chambered for the 7.62×39mm M43 round. It combines the AKM design with developments from the AK-74 and AK-74M, with the use of plastics to replace metal or wooden components wherever possible to reduce overall weight... |
Assault rifle | \ Ethiopia |
The Gafat Armament Engineering Complex Gafat Armament Engineering Complex Gafat Armament Engineering Complex is one of the military production facilities of the Ethiopian Defense Industry. With its headquarters in Debre Zeyit, it specializes in producing wide range of infantry equipment that meet the requirement of the Ethiopian National Defense Force.-History:It was... produces the AK-103 rifle in Ethiopia. Supplements the AKM AKM The AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an upgraded version of the AK-47 rifle and was developed in the 1950s.... and AK-47 AK-47 The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year... in the Ethiopian Armed Forces. |
| AK-47 AK-47 The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year... |
Assault rifle | ||
| AKM AKM The AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an upgraded version of the AK-47 rifle and was developed in the 1950s.... |
Assault rifle | 100,000+ | |
| BM59 Beretta BM59 The Beretta BM59 is an Italian-made rifle based on the M1 Garand rifle, but chambered in 7.62x51 mm NATO, and modified to use a detachable magazine. Later revisions incorporated other features common to more modern rifles.-Development:... |
Assault rifle | ||
| G3 Heckler & Koch G3 The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME .... |
Assault rifle | ||
| Vz. 58 | Assault rifle | Czechoslovakia |
|
| TAR-21 | Bullpup assault rifle | Ethiopian Prime Minister bodyguards were seen with the TAR-21. | |
| RP-46 "Degtyaryov" | Light machinegun | ||
| RPD RPD The RPD is a 7.62mm light machine gun developed in the Soviet Union by Vasily Degtyaryov for the intermediate 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge. It was created as a replacement for the DP machine gun chambered for the 7.62x54mmR Mosin rifle round... |
Light machinegun | ||
| RPK RPK The RPK is a 7.62x39mm light machine gun of Soviet design, developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the late 1950s, parallel with the AKM assault/battle rifle... |
Light machinegun | ||
| DShK DShK The DShK 1938 is a Soviet heavy machine gun firing the 12.7x108mm cartridge. The weapon was also used as a heavy infantry machine gun, in which case it was frequently deployed with a two-wheeled mounting and a single-sheet armour-plate shield... |
Heavy machinegun |
Armored fighting vehicles
| Name | Type | Quantity | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-72A T-72 The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1970. It is developed directly from Obyekt-172, and shares parallel features with the T-64A... |
Main battle tank | 250 | \ | First 50 bought from Yemen, remaining 200 ordered from Ukraine in 2011. |
| T-62 T-62 The T-62 is a Soviet main battle tank, a further development of the T-55. Its 115 mm gun was the first smoothbore tank gun in use.The T-62 was produced between 1961 and 1975. It became a standard tank in the Soviet arsenal, partly replacing the T-55, although that tank continued to be... |
Main battle tank | 100 | ||
| T-54/55 | Main battle tank | 250 | ||
| BTR-60PB BTR-60 The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers. It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen first time in public in 1961... |
Armored personnel carrier | 80 | ||
| BMP-1 BMP-1 The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty 1 , meaning "infantry fighting vehicle". The BMP-1 was the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle... |
Infantry fighting vehicle | 70 | These vehicles were ordered in 1977 from Soviet Union and delivered between 1977 and 1978. Current condition unknown. |
Artillery
| Name | Type | Quantity | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M109A1 M109 howitzer The M109 is an American-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It was upgraded a number of times to today's M109A6 Paladin... |
Self-propelled gun 155mm | ???? | Unknown number of systems delivered. |
Air defense
| Name | Type | Quantity | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" ZSU-23-4 The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" is a lightly armored, self-propelled, radar guided anti-aircraft weapon system . ZSU stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka , meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount". The "23" signifies the bore diameter in millimeters. The "4" signifies the number of gun barrels. It... |
Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun | 60 | ||
| ZSU-57-2 ZSU-57-2 The ZSU-57-2 is a Soviet self-propelled anti-aircraft gun , armed with two 57 mm autocannons. 'ZSU' stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka , meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount", '57' stands for the bore of the armament in millimetres and '2' stands for the number of gun barrels.... |
Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun | 10 | 10 ordered in 1977 from Soviet Union and delivered in 1978 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service). |
Logistics and support vehicles
| Name | Type | Quantity | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMMWV | Armored multi-purpose vehicle | ???? | Unknown quantity delivered. |
Peacekeeping
Ethiopia has served in various United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
peacekeeping missions. These have included the Ivory Coast, on the Burundi border, and in Rwanda.
Two major Ethiopian missions are in LIberia and Darfur. The United Nations Mission in Liberia
United Nations Mission in Liberia
The United Nations Mission in Liberia is a peace-keeping force established in September 2003 to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia following the resignation of President Charles Taylor and the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War....
(UNMIL) was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1509
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1509
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1509, adopted unanimously on September 19, 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Liberia, including Resolution 1497 , the Council established the 15,000-strong United Nations Mission in Liberia to assist in implementing a...
, of 19 September 2003, to support the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the peace process, protect United Nations staff, facilities and civilians, support humanitarian and human rights activities; as well as assist in national security reform, including national police training and formation of a new, restructured military.
In November 2007, nearly 1,800 Ethiopian troops serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) were presented with UN Peacekeeping medals for their "invaluable contribution to the peace process."
Up to three Ethiopian battalions used to constitute Sector 4 of the UN Mission, covering the southern part of the country.
Many thousands of Ethiopian peacekeepers are involved in the joint African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur, western Sudan. The Security Council authorized a UNAMID force of about 26,000 uniformed personnel.
External links
- Ethiopian Military website
- History of the Military of Ethiopia at Library of Congress, Introduction (internal links broken)
- History of the Military of Ethiopia at Library of Congress, Military Tradition (internal links broken)
- History of the Military of Ethiopia at Library of Congress, Armed Forces (until 1991) (internal links broken)
- A history of the Ethiopian Air Force (dehai-news)
- CIA World Factbook: Ethiopia