Uganda People's Defence Force
Encyclopedia
The Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF), previously the National Resistance Army
, is the armed forces of Uganda
. The International Institute for Strategic Studies
estimates the UPDF has a total strength of 40–45,000, and consists of land forces and an Air Wing.
The IISS Military Balance 2007 says there are 1,800 paramilitary personnel also, which include the Marines—Uganda's naval force
—with 400 personnel, and eight riverine patrol craft
, all of less than 100 tonnes. There is also a 800-strong Uganda Police Force
Air Wing with one Bell JetRanger, and a 600-strong Border Defence Unit equipped only with small arms
.
was formed. On 9 October 1962 Uganda
became independent from the United Kingdom, with 4th Battalion, King's African Rifles
becoming the Uganda Rifles. On 23 January 1964 1st Battalion, Uganda Rifles, plus the embryonic 2nd Battalion mutinied, seizing its British officers. Following an invitation from President Milton Obote
, British forces from Kenya (elements of the 24th Infantry Brigade) intervened later the same day, and two days later brought the mutiny to an end.
In 1970, the International Institute for Strategic Studies
assessed the Ugandan armed forces to consist of 6,700 personnel, constituting an Army of 6,250 with two brigade groups, each of two battalions, plus an independent infantry battalion, with some Ferret armoured car
s, and BTR-40
and BTR-152
armoured personnel carriers, plus an air arm of 450 with 12 Fouga Magister
armed jet trainers, and seven MiG-15s and MiG-17s.
In 1979, before the Uganda-Tanzania War
, the Ugandan armed forces were reported, by the IISS, as consisting of 20,000 land forces personnel, with two four-battalion brigades and five other battalions of various types, plus a training regiment. There were a total of 35 T-34, T-55, and M-4 Sherman medium tanks. An air arm was 1,000 strong with 21 MiG-21 and 10 MiG-17 combat aircraft. The IISS noted that the Ugandan armed forces collapsed in the face of the Tanzanian onslaught and the serviceable aircraft were removed to Tanzania.
The Uganda National Liberation Front
ruled Uganda from the overthrow of Amin in April 1979 until the disputed national elections in December 1980. During that period the Front's military wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) acted as Uganda's national armed forces.
After the Museveni government was formed in 1986, a number of key Rwanda Patriotic Front personnel became part of the National Resistance Army
that became Uganda's new national armed forces. Fred Rwigema
was appointed deputy minister of defense and deputy army commander-in-chief, second only to Museveni in the military chain of command for the nation. Paul Kagame
was appointed acting chief of military intelligence. Other Tutsi refugees were highly placed: Peter Baingana was head of NRA medical services and Chris Bunyenyezi was the commander of the 306th Brigade, while Adam Wasswa was the Commander of the 316th Brigade at Moroto in northern Uganda, Steven Ndugutse was commander of the 79th Battalion, and Sam Kaka was Military Police Commander. Tutsi refugees formed a disproportionate number of NRA officers for the simple reason that they had joined the rebellion early and thus had accumulated more experience.
The National Resistance Army was renamed the Uganda People's Defence Force following the enactment of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda. UPDF's primary focus was the conflict with the Lord's Resistance Army
(LRA), a rebel group operating in the country's North which has been condemned by the UN and was designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. government in 2001. Since March 2002 UPDF has been granted permission to carry out operating against LRA bases across the border in the Sudan, and these raids, collectively known as Operation Iron Fist, have resulted in the repatriation of many abducted children being held by the rebels as child soldiers or sex slaves. However the LRA was totally defeated and pushed deep into the jungles of The Central Africa Republic and Congo.
The UPDF has also been the subject of controversy for having a minimum age for service of 13. Many international organizations have condemned this as being military use of children
. This has created an image problem for the UPDF and may have impacted the international aid Uganda receives. Western
nations have sent a limited level of military aid to Uganda.
As of 2003 at least, there was a severe problem of 'ghost' soldiers within the UPDF.
As of 2008, these personnel problems has been exacerbated by the surge of UPDF troops resigning to go to work with the Coalition Forces in Iraq
. They mostly work as an additional guard force at control points and dining facilities, for example.
Prior to 2000, the United States armed forces
trained together with the UPDF as part of the African Crisis Response Initiative. This cooperation was terminated in 2000 as a result of Uganda's incursion into the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC). Following the June 2003 UPDF withdrawal of troops from the DRC, limited nonlethal military assistance has restarted. The UPDF participates in the African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance
programme with the United States
.
After several interventions in the Congo, the UPDF was involved in a further incursion there from December 2008, stretching into February 2009, against the Lord's Resistance Army
in the Garamba area. UPDF special forces and artillery, supported by aircraft, were joined by the Congolese FARDC and elements of the Sudan People's Liberation Army
. Called 'Operation Lightning Thunder' by the UPDF, it was commanded by Brig. Patrick Kankiriho, commander of 3rd Division.
The UPDF has up to 5,000 soldiers serving with AMISOM in Somalia as of 2011. The commander there, Major General Nathan Mugisha, was wounded in a car bomb attack on 17 September 2009 which left nine soldiers dead.
Edward Katumba Wamala
. Lieutenant General Wamala was among military cadets sent to Monduli
Military Academy in Tanzania in 1979 (now the TPDF's Tanzania Military Academy, which Ugandan cadets still attend) and served as Inspector General of Police until 2005.
The IISS Military Balance 2007 estimates that the land forces include five divisions (each with up to five brigades), one armoured and one artillery brigade. The divisions are the 1st at Kakiri
in Wakiso District
, the 2nd, HQ at Mbarara
, the 3rd (HQ Mbale
), the 4th with its headquarters at Gulu
, and the 5th at Pader
. The armoured brigade appears to be at Masaka
.
The 2nd Division, according to afdevinfo.com, includes the divisional headquarters at Mbarara, the 17th, 69th, 73rd, and 77th Battalions, the Rwenzori Mountain Alpine Brigade, possibly another Alpine brigade, and the 3rd Tank Battalion, and has been heavily involved with border operations since the Congo Civil War
began in the 1990s.
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
| Mikoyan-Gurevich
MiG-23 Flogger
|
Soviet Union
| Multi role fighter
|
| status unknown
|
|-----
| Sukhoi Su-30MK2
|
Russia
| Multi role fighter
|
| 6
| Delivered July 2011 for $740 million (Shs1.8 trillion)
|-----
| Mikoyan-Gurevich
MiG-21 Fishbed
|
Poland
| Multi role fighter
|
| 6
| 6 MiG-21 Bis\U Delivered. Upgraded by IAI (MIG-21-2000)
|-----
| Aero L-39 Albatros
|
| Light attack/ trainer
|
| 4
|
|-----
| Aermacchi SF-260
|
Italy
| Light attack-trainer
|
| 2
| delivered
|-----
| Mil Mi-24 Hind
| Soviet Union
| heavy attack helicopter
|
| 1
| with five further 'Hinds' unserviceable of a total of 12 Mi-24 delivered
|-----
| Agusta-Bell AB-206 JetRanger
|
United States
| Utility helicopter
|
| ?
| status unknown of a total of 10 delivered
|-----
| AB.212
| Italy
| Light transport helicopter
|
| 8
| A total of 10 delivered.
|-----
| FFA AS-202 Bravo
| Italy
| basic trainer
|
| 2
| status unknown
|-----
| Bell 412
| United States
| Light helicopter
|
| ?
| status unknown. A total of 9 delivered.
|-----
| Gulfstream G550
| United States
| VIP Transport
|
| 1
|
|-----
| Mil-17 Hip-H
| Russia
| Medium transport helicopter
|
|7
|status unknown. A total of 5 Mil Mi-8 and 8 Mil Mi-17 delivered.
|-----
| Agusta A-109
| Italy
| utility helicopter
|
| 2
| status unknown
|-----
| Lockheed Martin
C-130-20 Hercules
|
| Transport aircraft
|
|1
| status unknown
|-----
and the Nile River.
National Resistance Army
The National Resistance Army , the military wing of the National Resistance Movement , was a rebel army that waged a guerrilla war, commonly referred to as the Luwero War or "the war in the bush", against the government of Milton Obote, and later that of Tito Okello.NRA was supported by Muammar...
, is the armed forces of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. 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"...
estimates the UPDF has a total strength of 40–45,000, and consists of land forces and an Air Wing.
The IISS Military Balance 2007 says there are 1,800 paramilitary personnel also, which include the Marines—Uganda's naval force
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...
—with 400 personnel, and eight riverine patrol craft
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
, all of less than 100 tonnes. There is also a 800-strong Uganda Police Force
Uganda Police Force
The Uganda Police Force is the national police force of Uganda. The head of the Force is called the Inspector General of Police . The current IGP is Major General Edward Kale Kayihura. He is a soldier of the UPDF....
Air Wing with one Bell JetRanger, and a 600-strong Border Defence Unit equipped only with small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
.
History
The origins of the present Ugandan armed forces can be traced back to 1902, when the Uganda Battalion of the King's African RiflesKing's African Rifles
The King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
was formed. On 9 October 1962 Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
became independent from the United Kingdom, with 4th Battalion, King's African Rifles
King's African Rifles
The King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
becoming the Uganda Rifles. On 23 January 1964 1st Battalion, Uganda Rifles, plus the embryonic 2nd Battalion mutinied, seizing its British officers. Following an invitation from President Milton Obote
Milton Obote
Apolo Milton Obote , Prime Minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and President of Uganda from 1966 to 1971, then again from 1980 to 1985. He was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda towards independence from the British colonial administration in 1962.He was overthrown by Idi Amin in 1971, but...
, British forces from Kenya (elements of the 24th Infantry Brigade) intervened later the same day, and two days later brought the mutiny to an end.
In 1970, 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"...
assessed the Ugandan armed forces to consist of 6,700 personnel, constituting an Army of 6,250 with two brigade groups, each of two battalions, plus an independent infantry battalion, with some Ferret armoured car
Ferret armoured car
The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret Scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company, Daimler...
s, and BTR-40
BTR-40
The BTR-40 is a Soviet non-amphibious, wheeled armoured personnel carrier and reconnaissance vehicle. It is often referred to as the Sorokovka in Soviet service. It is also the first mass-produced Soviet APC...
and BTR-152
BTR-152
The BTR-152 was a non-amphibious Soviet wheeled armored personnel carrier that entered Soviet service in 1950. By the early 1970s it had been replaced in the infantry vehicle role by the BTR-60...
armoured personnel carriers, plus an air arm of 450 with 12 Fouga Magister
Fouga Magister
The Fouga Magister is a 1950s French two-seat jet trainer. The related CM.175 Zéphyr was a carrier-capable version for the French Navy....
armed jet trainers, and seven MiG-15s and MiG-17s.
In 1979, before the Uganda-Tanzania War
Uganda-Tanzania War
The Uganda–Tanzania War was fought between Uganda and Tanzania in 1978–1979, and led to the overthrow of Idi Amin's regime...
, the Ugandan armed forces were reported, by the IISS, as consisting of 20,000 land forces personnel, with two four-battalion brigades and five other battalions of various types, plus a training regiment. There were a total of 35 T-34, T-55, and M-4 Sherman medium tanks. An air arm was 1,000 strong with 21 MiG-21 and 10 MiG-17 combat aircraft. The IISS noted that the Ugandan armed forces collapsed in the face of the Tanzanian onslaught and the serviceable aircraft were removed to Tanzania.
Uganda National Liberation Front
The Uganda National Liberation Front was a political group formed by exiled Ugandans opposed to the rule of Idi Amin with an accompanying military wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army . UNLA fought alongside Tanzanian forces in the Uganda-Tanzania War that led to the overthrow of Idi Amin's...
ruled Uganda from the overthrow of Amin in April 1979 until the disputed national elections in December 1980. During that period the Front's military wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) acted as Uganda's national armed forces.
After the Museveni government was formed in 1986, a number of key Rwanda Patriotic Front personnel became part of the National Resistance Army
National Resistance Army
The National Resistance Army , the military wing of the National Resistance Movement , was a rebel army that waged a guerrilla war, commonly referred to as the Luwero War or "the war in the bush", against the government of Milton Obote, and later that of Tito Okello.NRA was supported by Muammar...
that became Uganda's new national armed forces. Fred Rwigema
Fred Rwigema
Fred Gisa Rwigema , born Emmanuel Gisa , was a founding member of and leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, an anti-Hutu Power guerrilla group that fought in the Rwandan Civil War.Rwigema was born in Gitarama, in the south of Rwanda...
was appointed deputy minister of defense and deputy army commander-in-chief, second only to Museveni in the military chain of command for the nation. Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame is the sixth and current President of the Republic of Rwanda. He rose to prominence as the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front , whose victory over the incumbent government in July 1994 effectively ended the Rwandan genocide...
was appointed acting chief of military intelligence. Other Tutsi refugees were highly placed: Peter Baingana was head of NRA medical services and Chris Bunyenyezi was the commander of the 306th Brigade, while Adam Wasswa was the Commander of the 316th Brigade at Moroto in northern Uganda, Steven Ndugutse was commander of the 79th Battalion, and Sam Kaka was Military Police Commander. Tutsi refugees formed a disproportionate number of NRA officers for the simple reason that they had joined the rebellion early and thus had accumulated more experience.
The National Resistance Army was renamed the Uganda People's Defence Force following the enactment of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda. UPDF's primary focus was the conflict with the Lord's Resistance Army
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...
(LRA), a rebel group operating in the country's North which has been condemned by the UN and was designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. government in 2001. Since March 2002 UPDF has been granted permission to carry out operating against LRA bases across the border in the Sudan, and these raids, collectively known as Operation Iron Fist, have resulted in the repatriation of many abducted children being held by the rebels as child soldiers or sex slaves. However the LRA was totally defeated and pushed deep into the jungles of The Central Africa Republic and Congo.
The UPDF has also been the subject of controversy for having a minimum age for service of 13. Many international organizations have condemned this as being military use of children
Military use of children
The military use of children takes three distinct forms: children can take direct part in hostilities , or they can be used in support roles such as porters, spies, messengers, look outs, and sexual slaves; or they can be used for political advantage either as human shields or in...
. This has created an image problem for the UPDF and may have impacted the international aid Uganda receives. Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
nations have sent a limited level of military aid to Uganda.
As of 2003 at least, there was a severe problem of 'ghost' soldiers within the UPDF.
As of 2008, these personnel problems has been exacerbated by the surge of UPDF troops resigning to go to work with the Coalition Forces in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. They mostly work as an additional guard force at control points and dining facilities, for example.
Prior to 2000, the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
trained together with the UPDF as part of the African Crisis Response Initiative. This cooperation was terminated in 2000 as a result of Uganda's incursion into the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
(DRC). Following the June 2003 UPDF withdrawal of troops from the DRC, limited nonlethal military assistance has restarted. The UPDF participates in the African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance
African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance
The African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program, formerly the African Crisis Response Initiative , is a United States program to train military trainers and equip African national militaries to conduct peace support operations and humanitarian relief.The ACOTA program, which...
programme with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...
in the Garamba area. UPDF special forces and artillery, supported by aircraft, were joined by the Congolese FARDC and elements of the Sudan People's Liberation Army
Sudan People's Liberation Army
The Sudan People's Liberation Movement is a political party in South Sudan. It was initially founded as a rebel political movement with a military wing known as the Sudan People's Liberation Army estimated at 180,000 soldiers. The SPLM fought in the Second Sudanese Civil War against the Sudanese...
. Called 'Operation Lightning Thunder' by the UPDF, it was commanded by Brig. Patrick Kankiriho, commander of 3rd Division.
The UPDF has up to 5,000 soldiers serving with AMISOM in Somalia as of 2011. The commander there, Major General Nathan Mugisha, was wounded in a car bomb attack on 17 September 2009 which left nine soldiers dead.
Land forces
Commander of Land Forces is Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Edward Katumba Wamala
Katumba Wamala
Lieutenant General Edward Katumba Wamala, more commonly known as Katumba Wamala, is a Ugandan Army officer and former policeman. He is the Commander of Land Forces in the Uganda People's Defense Force...
. Lieutenant General Wamala was among military cadets sent to Monduli
Monduli
Monduli is one of the five districts of the Arusha Region of Tanzania. These include, Monduli, Ngorongoro, Karatu, Arumeru, and Arusha. It is located in the northeastern section of the country. It is bordered to the north by Kenya, to the east by the Kilimanjaro Region and Arumeru District, to the...
Military Academy in Tanzania in 1979 (now the TPDF's Tanzania Military Academy, which Ugandan cadets still attend) and served as Inspector General of Police until 2005.
The IISS Military Balance 2007 estimates that the land forces include five divisions (each with up to five brigades), one armoured and one artillery brigade. The divisions are the 1st at Kakiri
Kakiri
-Location:Kakiri is located approximately , by road, northwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The town is located on the highway between Kampala and Hoima. The coordinates of Kakiri are:00 25 12N, 32 23 24E ....
in Wakiso District
Wakiso District
Wakiso District is a district in Central Uganda that encircles Kampala, Uganda's capital city. The district is named after the town of Wakiso, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
, the 2nd, HQ at Mbarara
Mbarara
Mbarara is a town in Western Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative and commercial center of Mbarara District and the location of the district headquarters. It is also the largest urban centre in Western Uganda.-Location:...
, the 3rd (HQ Mbale
Mbale
Mbale is a city in Eastern Uganda. It is the main municiplal, administrative and commercial center of Mbale District and the surrounding sub-region. The district is named after the town.-Location:...
), the 4th with its headquarters at Gulu
Gulu
Gulu is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The city is located at 2˚46'48N 32˚18'00E, on the metre gauge railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city...
, and the 5th at Pader
Pader, Uganda
Pader, is a town in Pader District, Northern Uganda. The town is administered by Pader Town Council, an Urban Local Government within Pader District Administration. It is the largest metropolitan area in Pader District and the district headquarters are located there...
. The armoured brigade appears to be at Masaka
Masaka
Masaka is a town in Central Uganda, lying west of Lake Victoria. It is the chief town of Masaka District. Besides being the headquarters of Masaka District, the town is the regional headquarters and largest metropolitan area in Lyantonde District, Sembabule District, Lwengo District, Bukomansimbi...
.
The 2nd Division, according to afdevinfo.com, includes the divisional headquarters at Mbarara, the 17th, 69th, 73rd, and 77th Battalions, the Rwenzori Mountain Alpine Brigade, possibly another Alpine brigade, and the 3rd Tank Battalion, and has been heavily involved with border operations since the Congo Civil War
First Congo War
The First Congo War was a revolution in Zaire that replaced President Mobutu Sésé Seko, a decades-long dictator, with rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Destabilization in eastern Zaire that resulted from the Rwandan genocide was the final factor that caused numerous internal and external actors...
began in the 1990s.
Current air force equipment
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
| Mikoyan-Gurevich
MiG-23 Flogger
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is considered to belong to the Soviet third generation jet fighter category, along with similarly aged Soviet fighters such as the MiG-25 "Foxbat"...
|
Soviet Union| Multi role fighter
|
| status unknown
|
|-----
| Sukhoi Su-30MK2
Sukhoi Su-30
The Sukhoi Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seat military aircraft developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions.The Su-30 started out as an internal development project in the Sukhoi Su-27 family...
|
Russia| Multi role fighter
|
| 6
| Delivered July 2011 for $740 million (Shs1.8 trillion)
|-----
| Mikoyan-Gurevich
MiG-21 Fishbed
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
|
Poland| Multi role fighter
|
| 6
| 6 MiG-21 Bis\U Delivered. Upgraded by IAI (MIG-21-2000)
|-----
| Aero L-39 Albatros
Aero L-39
The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance jet trainer aircraft developed in Czechoslovakia to meet requirements for a "C-39" during the 1960s to replace the L-29 Delfín...
|
| Light attack/ trainer
|
| 4
|
|-----
| Aermacchi SF-260
|
Italy| Light attack-trainer
|
| 2
| delivered
|-----
| Mil Mi-24 Hind
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
|
Soviet Union| heavy attack helicopter
|
| 1
| with five further 'Hinds' unserviceable of a total of 12 Mi-24 delivered
|-----
| Agusta-Bell AB-206 JetRanger
Bell 206
The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
|
United States| Utility helicopter
|
| ?
| status unknown of a total of 10 delivered
|-----
| AB.212
|
Italy| Light transport helicopter
|
| 8
| A total of 10 delivered.
|-----
| FFA AS-202 Bravo
FFA AS-202 Bravo
-See also:-External links:* * *...
|
Italy| basic trainer
|
| 2
| status unknown
|-----
| Bell 412
Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212 model, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.-Design and development:...
|
United States| Light helicopter
|
| ?
| status unknown. A total of 9 delivered.
|-----
| Gulfstream G550
|
United States| VIP Transport
|
| 1
|
|-----
| Mil-17 Hip-H
Mil Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude...
|
Russia| Medium transport helicopter
|
|7
|status unknown. A total of 5 Mil Mi-8 and 8 Mil Mi-17 delivered.
|-----
| Agusta A-109
Agusta A109
The AgustaWestland AW109 is a light-weight, twin-engine, eight-seat multi-purpose helicopter built by the Anglo-Italian manufacturer AgustaWestland...
|
Italy| utility helicopter
|
| 2
| status unknown
|-----
| Lockheed Martin
C-130-20 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
|
| Transport aircraft
|
|1
| status unknown
|-----
UDPF Water Wing
The UDPF Water Wing has 400 personnel, and eight riverine patrol craft, all of less than 100 tonnes. Its main mission is to patrol Lake VictoriaLake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
and the Nile River.
Equipment
Small Arms
- Tokarev TT Pistol
- SterlingSterling submachine gunThe Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle.-History:...
Mk IV - Skorpion vz. 61
Czech Republic - Uzi
Israel - IMIIsrael Military IndustriesIsrael Weapons Industries , formerly the "Magen" division of the Israel Military Industries Ltd. is an Israeli firearms manufacturer. In 2005, the Small Arms Division of IMI was privatized....
Galil - AK-47AK-47The 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...
- AKMAKMThe 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....
- M16M16 rifleThe M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
- Type 56
Mainland China - Galil MR
- Heckler & Koch G3Heckler & Koch G3The 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 ....
Germany - FN MAGFN MAGThe FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...
Belgium - Heckler & Koch HK21 Germany
- SACO M60M60 machine gunThe M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
GPMGGeneral purpose machine gunA general-purpose machine gun is a multi-purpose weapon: it is a machine gun firing a full-power rifle cartridge and which can be used in a variety of roles, from a bipod- or tripod-mounted infantry support weapon to a helicopter door gun or a vehicle-mounted support weapon... - RPKRPKThe 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...
- RPDRPDThe 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...
- RPG-7V
- Browning M2HB.50 caliber heavy machine gun
Fighting Vehicles and Artillery
- PT-76PT-76The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank which was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like India, Iraq, North Korea and North Vietnam. Overall,...
- 20 - T-55T-55The T-54 and T-55 tanks were a series of main battle tanks designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just before the end of the Second World War. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank for armored units of the Soviet Army, armies of...
- 20-140- (total of 176-200 T-54\55 delivered) - T-72T-72The 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...
-M2M -50 (Reported) Russia - BMP-2BMP-2The BMP-2 is a second-generation, amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following the BMP-1 of the 1960s....
- 31 - BTR-80BTR-80BTR-80 is an 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed in the Soviet Union. Production started in 1986 and replaced the previous versions, BTR-60 and BTR-70 in the Soviet army. -Description:The Soviets based the BTR-80 on the BTR-70 APC...
- 14 - HMMWV M998-50
- BTR-60BTR-60The 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...
- 20 - OT-64 -4 Czech Republic
- BTR-40BTR-40The BTR-40 is a Soviet non-amphibious, wheeled armoured personnel carrier and reconnaissance vehicle. It is often referred to as the Sorokovka in Soviet service. It is also the first mass-produced Soviet APC...
-20 - BTR-152BTR-152The BTR-152 was a non-amphibious Soviet wheeled armored personnel carrier that entered Soviet service in 1950. By the early 1970s it had been replaced in the infantry vehicle role by the BTR-60...
- RG-31RG-31The RG-31 Nyala is a 4×4 multi-purpose mine-protected armoured personnel carrier manufactured in South Africa by Land Systems OMC, a division of BAE Systems. It is based on the Mamba APC of TFM Industries...
APC -15
South Africa - BuffelBuffelThe Buffel is a mine-protected APC used by the South African Army during the South African Border War. The Buffel was also used as an armoured fighting vehicle and proved itself in this role... South Africa
- MambaMambaMambas, of the genus Dendroaspis , are a group of highly venomous, fast-moving land-dwelling snakes of Africa. They belong to the family of Elapidae which includes cobras, coral snakes, taipans, brown snakes, tiger snakes, death adders, kraits and, debatably, sea snakes...
MK-2APC -52 South Africa - CasspirCasspirThe Casspir is a landmine-protected personnel carrier that has been in use in South Africa for over 20 years. It is a four wheeled armoured vehicle, used for transport of troops. It can hold a crew of two, plus 12 additional soldiers and associated gear. The Casspir was unique in design when...
-70 South Africa - Daimler Ferret armoured car MK-2/2 (may be phased out)
- IMIIsrael Military IndustriesIsrael Weapons Industries , formerly the "Magen" division of the Israel Military Industries Ltd. is an Israeli firearms manufacturer. In 2005, the Small Arms Division of IMI was privatized....
ATMOS 2000ATMOS 2000ATMOS 2000 is a 155 mm/52 calibre self-propelled artillery system manufactured by Soltam Systems....
-9 155mm SPH Israel - SoltamSoltamSoltam Systems is an Israeli Defense company located near Yokneam. The company has been developing and manufacturing advanced artillery systems, mortars, ammunition and peripheral equipment since 1952. Soltam Systems serves armed and special forces in more than 60 countries...
TIG-2000 155mm TH -22 - GV-5 155mm 155mm TH -4
- IMIIsrael Military IndustriesIsrael Weapons Industries , formerly the "Magen" division of the Israel Military Industries Ltd. is an Israeli firearms manufacturer. In 2005, the Small Arms Division of IMI was privatized....
-SoltamSoltamSoltam Systems is an Israeli Defense company located near Yokneam. The company has been developing and manufacturing advanced artillery systems, mortars, ammunition and peripheral equipment since 1952. Soltam Systems serves armed and special forces in more than 60 countries...
Model 839 155mm towed howitzer -18 - M114A1 155mm howitzer -82
- M-46130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 M1954 is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954...
130mm - BM-21BM-21The BM-21 launch vehicle , a Soviet truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, and a M-21OF rocket were developed in the early 1960s. BM stands for boyevaya mashina, ‘combat vehicle’, and the nickname means ‘hail’. The complete system with the BM-21 launch vehicle and the M-21OF rocket...
Grad 122mm MRL - D-30 122mm towed howitzer
- Soltam K6M120 120 mm mortarThe Soltam K6 is a 120 mm mortar that was developed by Soltam Systems of Israel. It is the long-range version of the Soltam K5 and has replaced older systems such as the M30 in several armies including the United States Army...
120mm mortar Israel - M-43 82mm mortar
- M120 120 mm mortarM120 120 mm mortarThe Soltam K6 is a 120 mm mortar that was developed by Soltam Systems of Israel. It is the long-range version of the Soltam K5 and has replaced older systems such as the M30 in several armies including the United States Army...
81mm mortar - Tatra heavy trucks Czech Republic
- Land RoverLand RoverLand Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
4x4 - AIL Uganda command car 4x4
- Mobile BridgesPMP Floating BridgeThe PMP Floating Bridge is a type of mobile pontoon bridge designed by the Soviet Union during World War II. The bridge's design enables for a quick assembly of its parts. It has a carrying capacity of 60 tons. During the process of its deployment, a truck carrying the bridge is backed alongside...
-6 - River Patrol Boats -6-8
Air Defense
- ZPU-4ZPU-4The ZPU-4 is a towed, quadruple-barreled anti-aircraft gun based on the Soviet KPV 14.5 mm machine gun. It entered service with the Soviet Union in 1949 and is used by over 50 countries worldwide...
- ShilkaZSU-23-4The 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...
23mm SPAAG -Reported. - 37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K)-50 delivered
- SA-18 Igla -Reported
- SA-7 Grail-250 delivered
- SA-3 Goa\S-125-Reported
- ZU-23\2A-13-5-60 delivered
- P-30P-30 radarThe P-30 "Khrustal" also referred to by the NATO reporting name "Big Mesh" in the west is a 2D E band/F band radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union.- Development :...
\P-15P-15 radarThe P-15 "Tropa" or 1RL12 is a 2D UHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union.- Development :...
Radar systems-9 delivered
Anti Tank
- AT-3 SaggerAT-3 SaggerThe 9K11 Malyutka is a Manual Command to Line-of-Sight wire-guided anti-tank guided missile developed in the Soviet Union. It was the first man-portable anti-tank guided missile of the Soviet Union and is probably the most widely produced ATGM of all time—with Soviet production peaking at...
(9K-11 Malyutka) -20-200 delivered. - AT-14 Kornet-E -Reported
- MBDAMBDAMBDA is a missile developer and manufacturer with operations in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and the United States. It was formed by a merger of Aérospatiale-Matra Missiles , Finmeccanica and Matra BAe Dynamics in December 2001. In 2003 the company had 10,000 employees...
MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
Reported - B-11B-11 recoilless rifleThe B-11 recoilless rifle is a Soviet 107 mm smoothbore recoilless rifle. It entered service in 1954, and was typically towed by a 6x6 ZIL-157 truck or a UAZ 4x4 truck.Designed by KBM, Kolomna....
107mm RCLB-11 recoilless rifleThe B-11 recoilless rifle is a Soviet 107 mm smoothbore recoilless rifle. It entered service in 1954, and was typically towed by a 6x6 ZIL-157 truck or a UAZ 4x4 truck.Designed by KBM, Kolomna....
- M-40AM40 recoilless rifleThe M40 recoilless rifle was a lightweight, portable, crew-served 105 mm weapon intended primarily as an anti-tank weapon made in the United States...
-1C-1 106mm RCL -Received from ISRAEL status unknown. - BGM-71E TOW-2A -34 Launchers\400 missiles-Not delivered
- Nord SS-11SS.11SS.11 is the designation of the Nord Aviation MCLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile. In American service the missile was designated the AGM-22. The missile entered service with the French Army in 1956. Production of the SS.11 ceased some time in the 1980s but in 1978 168,450 missiles had been produced...
Out of service equipment
- T-34-85 85mm medium tank
- M4 ShermanM4 ShermanThe M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
76mm medium tank - M3 Half-trackM3 Half-trackThe Carrier, Personnel Half-track M3 was an armored vehicle used by the United States, the British Empire and the other Allies during World War II and the Cold War. Nearly 43,000 were produced, and supplied to the U.S...
APC
Further reading
- Gerard Prunier, 'From Genocide to Continental War: the 'Congolese' Conflict and the Crisis of Contemporary Africa,' Hurst & Co., London, 2009, ISBN 978-1-85065-523-7 (p. 88, 186, 197)
- One way street, Africa ConfidentialAfrica ConfidentialAfrica Confidential is a fortnightly newsletter covering politics and economics in Africa. It was established in 1960 and is owned by the British company, Asempa Limited. Founded by a group of six individuals under the banner of Miramoor Publications, Africa Confidential was originally printed on...
, Volume 41 No 9. Deep rivalries in the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces have been the main reason for the UPDF’s failure to defeat the LRA since the late 1980s.
External links
- "Assessing the cost of an army" by Joshua Kato, Sunday VisionNew VisionNew Vision is one of two main national newspapers in Uganda.-History:It was established in its current form in 1986 by the Ugandan Government. New Vision is broadly sympathetic to the government of President Yoweri Museveni. It was founded in 1955 as the Uganda Argus, a British colonial government...
, 30 June 2006 - Library of Congress Uganda Country Study