Kuwaiti Security Forces

Kuwaiti Security Forces Personnel Numbers
Air Force / 2,500
Army / 11,000
Navy / 2,000
National Police / 4,000
Customs

Military Forces

National Service lasts for two years and all men are supposed to receive a 30-day training annually, although few actually do.

Generally while Kuwait may have well trained junior officers and NCOs, it lacks effective professional training programs to keep up with its advanced weapon systems and build manpower quality.

The Kuwaiti military focuses it’s training on delaying incursions for 48 hours to allow reinforcements from the United States or NATO to arrive.

Kuwait is also a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The GCC has never developed a meaningful concept of intergrated air operations and even the upper Gulf par of the GCC – Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia –still effectively fight as independent forces (Source)

Kuwait Air Force (al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya)

Commander of the Air Force: Lieutenant General Yousif Dawyan al-Otaibi

The operational doctrine of the air force is to provide air support to ground forces. Like Kuwait’s army, it is not designed to fight a major war alone, but rather as part of a coalition.

The Kuwaiti Air Force is made up of 2,500 people that are organized into 2 fighter/ground attack squadrons, 2 fixed-wing transport squadrons, 2 helicopter squadrons, 1 utility squadron and 1 training/attack helicopter squadrons. Despite being comparatively small in size, it is well equipped andwell trained, with Kuwaiti pilots averaging 210 flying hours per year. Kuwait’s air force does not constitute any offensive threat, but can be called upon to support ground forces in defensive operations (Souce: Jane’s World’s Air Forces) (Source)

Sixteen Ah-64 apache helicopters, which have the ability to defeat the battlefield air defense systems employed by Iran

Attack helicopters offer Kuwait a way of providing rapid forward defense as well as some capability to compensate for its lack of strategic depth. They also offer a way of dealing with infiltration across the borders.

Kuwait has a large array of equipment, however it has serious manpower limitations, even though its professional training and readiness are steadily getting better. The Air force would badly need U.S. support in terms of airborne air control and warning platforms,intelligence, targeting, and electronic warfare. The GCC and Kuwait’s neighbors have notorganized to provide such support with any real effectiveness, and Kuwait is too exposed for itsair force to operate efficiently without it

Kuwaiti Air Force Order of Battle
Unit / Base / Type / Role
9 Squadron / Ahmed al Jabar / F-18C Hornet / Air Defense/Attack
9 Squadron / Ahmed al Jabar / F-18D Hornet / Continuation Training
12 Squadron / Ali al Salam / Hawk Mk 64 / Attack/Training
19 Squadron / Ali al Salam / Tucano Mk 52 / Training
25 Squadron / Ahmed al Jabar / F-18C Hornet / Air Defense/Attack
25 Squadron / Ahmed al Jabar / F-18D Hornet / Continuation Training
32 Squadron / Ali al Salam / SA 330F Puma / Transport
33 Squadron / Ali al Salam / SA 342L Gazelle / Attack/Scout
41 Squadron / Kuwait IAP / L-100-30 Hercules / Transport
62 Squadron / Ali al Salam / AS 532SC Cougar / Anti-ship Attack/Search and Rescue
88 Squadron / Ali al Salam / AH-64D Apache / Attack

Kuwait Army

Commander of the Kuwaiti Army - Lt.Gen. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah (Source)

The Kuwaiti army consists of 11,000 active duty personnel that are organized into3 armored brigades, 2 mechanized infantry brigades, 1 mechanized recce brigade, 1 force artillery brigade, 1 force engineering brigade, 1 reserve brigade, 1 Amiri guard brigade, 1 commando battalion, 1 air defense command and a special forces unit that is still being formed.

The Kuwaiti army's main bases are:

KuwaitCity (HQ)

Al Jabah

Mina Abdullah

In practice, Kuwait’s brigades are small by western standards, roughly the equivilant of small regiments or large battalions. They are also “cadre forces’ kept up to 80 percent of full strength with the balance made up of reserves in case of war

At least two of Kuwait’s brigades now seem capable of deploying with their full equipment strength, although they are only capable of operating within a relitivly short range of their bases due to maintenance and sustenance issues.

As stated earlier, Kuwait relies heavily on the United States for protection. Its armed forces have been trained to hold their positions for 48-72 hours before reinforcements arrive. Whether the current strength and training level prepares the Kuwaiti army for this challenge is uncertain.

The threat of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq has been replaced by the threat of asymmetric attacks by terrorist organization, However the army’s force structure has remained largely static since 2000, and has not adapted its forces to effectively face this new threat.

Editor's note: The U.S. Army has placed a permanent mechanized infantry brigade headquarters in Kuwait to bolster its rapid-deployment capabilities in the region.

The Kuwaiti army numbers approximately 11,000 active-duty personnel, including 3,700 foreign troops. (Source)

KuwaitNavy

Naval bases:

Ras al Qalaya

Coast guard bases:

Shuwaikh (KuwaitCity)

Umm Al-Hainan

Al Bida

Verba

Al-Qulaya (Ras al-Qalaya)

Al-Harian

Editor's note: In addition to the patrol boats listed in the section above, Kuwait operates about a dozen former Iraqi or onetime private small craft for patrol and utility duties.

Approximately 2,000 personnel serve in the navy. There are also about 500 uniformed coast guard personnel and about 600 civilian employees. (Source)

Kuwait Air Defense

Functions of the National Guard

مساندة الجيش في الدفاع عن الوطن ضد كل من يعتدي على ترابه الطاهر أو يحاول اختراق حدوده و معاونة قوات الشرطة في الحفاظ على الأمن والاستقرار وحماية الجبهة الداخلية ضد كل الأخطار التي تتهددهاو تأمين الأهداف أو المنشآت الحيوية في البلاد والاستعداد الدائم لتلبية أية مهمة أخرى يكلف بها من قبل مجلس الدفاع الأعلى . Support the army in defending the country against both the assault on the soil pure or attempts to penetrate its borders and assist police in maintaining security and stability and protect the home front against all the dangers Ttaheddhou insurance targets or vital installations in the country and always ready to meet any other task assigned to it before the Supreme Defence Council.
الحرس الوطني ومراحل التطويرNational Guard and the stages of development

لقد مر الحرس الوطني منذ إنشائه بمراحل تطور ونمو متعددة حيث أقبل المتطوعون من أبناء الوطن على الانضمام إلية ، وتخرجت منه دفعات متتالية من الكوادر العسكرية المدربة ، وشكلت وحداته المختلفة ، واستمر الإقبال عليه بحماس زائد من جانب أبناء الوطن ، وظل العمل والتدريب مستمرين ، وتوالي التطوير بما يلائم الاحتياجات المستجدة وارتقى التسليح وتوافرت الكوادر البشرية المؤهلة للاطلاع بكافة المهام القتالية والإدارية والفنية والحرفية. It has been the National Guard since its inception stages of development and growth where multiple accept volunteers from the citizens to join him, and graduated from successive waves of military personnel trained, and formed units different, and continued demand for it with enthusiasm plus the part of citizens, and has been working and training ongoing, and the successive development to suit the needs of emerging and elevated iron and available qualified human resources for all combat missions and administrative, technical and craft.

ففي الحرس الوطني هناك يد تحمل السلاح وأخري تبني وتنمي القوى البشرية حتى أصبح لدى الحرس الوطني وحدات تلقت تدريبات مكثفة عالية في شتى المجالات العسكرية والأمنية والفنية والإدارية يناسب احتياجات العصر ويلائم مقتضيات التوقعات الحاضرة والمرتقبة وتطور في شتى المجالات ولمسات حضارية تشهدها جميع أنشطة وقطاعات الحرس الوطني الكويتي ليواكب نهضة لم يسبق لها مثيل ونحن نعيش القرن الحادي والعشرين بفضل الرجال المخلصين لوطنهم والذين لا يألون جهدا في الارتقاء بهذا الصرح الشامخ وتحقيق قوة وفتوة في المجالات العسكرية ، ونهضة وحضارة في المجالات الإدارية . In the National Guard by the carrying of arms and other build and develop human resources to become the National Guard units received intensive training is high in various areas of military, security, technical and administrative suit the needs of the times and fit the requirements of the expectations of present and planned and developed in various fields and finishes in a civilized taking place in all activities and sectors of the Kuwaiti National Guard to keep pace with the rise of unprecedented and we live in the twenty-century atheist and thanks to the men loyal to their country and who are sparing no effort to live up to this tall edifice, and to achieve the strength and chivalry in the military, and the rise of civilization and in administrative areas.

ويتميز الحرس الوطني في صورته الحالية بالتحديث التام الذي شمل كل المجالات ، فهناك دورات تدريبه لتعليم اللغات الأجنبية وهناك برنامج طموح لتعليم الكمبيوتر بل تعداه إلي ما هو أبعد بأن يمحو أمية الكمبيوتر بين كافة منتسبي الحرس الوطني . It features the National Guard in its current form, the full update, which covered all areas, there are training sessions to teach foreign languages and there is an ambitious program to teach computer but went beyond that erase computer literacy among all employees of the National Guard.

Law Enforcement/ Paramilitary

National Guard

Civil Defense Force

Kuwaiti National Police
The Kuwait Police is a national organisation which has a complement of about 4,000, the majority being assigned to KuwaitCity. It is a semi-military organisation, equipped with small-arms, light weapons and all-terrain vehicles, and is capable of dealing with violent disorder as well as performing normal police duties.The police are directly responsible to the Emir through the Ministry of the Interior. In fact, over 90 per cent of the Ministry of the Interior's heads of departments are police officers. The National Police is deployed for public order enforcement and its primary responsibility is internal security. Police units are based in all major urban centres.The National Police has a number of departments, including Criminal Investigation, Logistics, Traffic and Rescue, Nationality and Travel Documents, Immigration Affairs, Department of Criminal Evidence, General Department of Investigation and Airport Police. In addition, there are Special Security Forces, whose role includes the protection of important buildings and installations.Computers have been used increasingly by the police in recent years. All records on motor vehicles have been computerised. It is understood that extensive computerised records have been built up on individuals regarded as a threat to state security.Police are trained at the Police Academy, founded in 1968. Trainees may undertake a three year course, culminating in qualifications such as the Bachelor's Degree in Law, or the Diploma in Police Sciences. (Source)

Customs

Head of the Customs Service - Ibrahim Al Ghanem. (Source)

Apart from routine customs duties, the Kuwaiti customs authorities have a particular role in preventing the smuggling of illegal drugs into the country. Kuwait has a heroin problem and courts may impose the death penalty for drugs trafficking. A number of drugs smugglers have been hanged in recent years. In addition, the Kuwaiti customs service has a role in internal security. The service seeks to detect terrorists seeking to enter the country and also to detect attempts to illegally import weapons and explosives for use by terrorists. The service also has a role in combating terrorist financing and money laundering. Being an Islamic state, the Kuwait General Administration of Customs has a role in preventing the importation of alcohol, pork products and pornography, which are illegal in Kuwait. (Source)

Intelligence

KuwaitState Security

Other

United States Military Forces

Facilities

CURRENT ACTIVE FACILITIES

  • Ali Al Salem AB
  • CampArifjan
  • CampBuehring
  • CampDoha
  • CampFox
  • CampNavistar
  • CampNew York
  • CampPatriot
  • CampSpearhead
  • CampVictory
  • CampVirginia
  • CampWolf
  • Kuwait IAP [KCIA]
  • Kuwait Naval Base
  • Kuwait Navy Base
  • UdairiRange
    INACTIVE FACILITIES
  • Ahmed Al Jaber AB
  • Camden Yards
  • CampMoreell
  • FailakaIsland
  • Mina Al Ahmadi
  • The Kabals