Uganda People’s Defence Force
1. Order of battle
2. Overview
3. Defence economics
4: State of military forces
5: Country threat report
6: Major external deployments
- Order of Battle
Total Force Strength |
Army: +/- 40 000 Naval Service: 200 Marines Air Force: +/- 1200 |
Main Battle Tank |
16: T-54 173: T-55 33: T-55AM-2 50: T-72B1 44: T-90S 20: PT-76 5: Type-85-IIM |
Reconnaissance |
40: Eland 15: Ferret |
APC/IFV/MRAP |
31: ACMAT Bastion 31: Buffel 42: Casspir 74: BTR-152 32: BTR-80A 31: BMP-2 3: OT-64C 40: Mamba 15: RG-31 Nyala 1: Springbuck 21: Cougar 10: RG-33 6: Gila |
Self-propelled artillery | 6: ATMOS-2000 155 mm |
Towed artillery |
9: D-30 122 mm 6: M-46 130mm 18: M-839 155 mm 55: M1942 76 mm 18: M1938 122 mm |
Multiple Rocket Launcher |
6+: BM-21 Grad 122mm 6: RM-70 122 mm |
Mortar |
10: 2B11 120mm 18: CARDOM 120 mm self-propelled ?: L16 81 mm 50: M-43 82 mm |
Anti-aircraft artillery |
20: M-1939 37 mm ?: ZPU-1/ZPU-2/ZPU-4 14.5 mm ?: ZSU-23 23 mm |
Anti-tank missile |
200: AT-3 Sagger 12: 9M115 Metis/AT-7 1000: Kornet/AT-14 10: Spike LR 15: R-2 |
Surface-to-air missile |
100: KAB-500/1500 200: 9K32 Strela-2 300: V-601/SA-3B |
Surface-to-air system | 4: S-125-2D/SA-3 |
Air-to-surface missile | 25: Kh-31A1/AS-17 |
Short range air-to-air missile |
75: K-13A 75: R-73 |
Armoured Recovery Vehicle | T-54/T-55 |
Structure |
5 Division HQs 1 armoured brigade 1 motorised infantry brigade 1 tank battalion Presidential Guard brigade 5 infantry division (total: 16 infantry brigade) 1 artillery brigade 2 air defence battalion |
Air Force | |
Combat Aircraft |
5: MiG-21bis 2:MiG-21 5: MiG-23BN 6: Su-30MK2 |
Trainer Aircraft |
3: L-39ZA 1: AS-202 Bravo 4: SF.260 |
Transport Aircraft |
2: Cessna 208 1: Y12IV 1: L-100 Hercules |
VIP Aircraft | 1: Gulfstream 550 |
Combat helicopter |
4: Mi-24P/Mi-35P 1: Mi-8MT/Mi-17 6: Mi-24PN 1: Mi-24V/Mi-35 |
Transport helicopter |
3: AB 206 JetRanger 5: Bell-205 2: Bell 212 3: Mi-8T Hip |
UAV | 4: RQ-11 Raven |
Police Air Wing: | |
Transport/liason: |
1: AW109 GrandNew 7: Bell-206 1: DHC-2 1: DHC-4 Caribou 1: DHC-6-100 1: W-3A Sokol |
Naval Service | |
Patrol |
2: Pursuit OS 315 3: AL8K type 4: 850 Military Patrol Boats |
- Overview
Head of State and Government: Yoweri Museveni
Defence Minister: Adolf Mwesige
Chief of Staff: Maj. Gen. Joseph Musanyufu
Chief of Staff of the Air Force: Brigadier Samuel Turyagenda
Member of:
United Nations, African Union, African Development Bank, Group of 77, East African Community, Commonwealth, International Atomic Energy Agency, International Civil Aviation Organization, East Africa Standby Force, African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises.
- Defence economics
Military expenditure (ME) from 2009 to 2019 in USD $ million:
Year | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
ME | 286 | 612 | 607 | 310 | 260 | 275 | 306 | 317 | 347 | 408 |
Military expenditure (ME) as percentage of GDP (2009-2018) in USD $ billion:
Year | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
GDP in USD billion | 18,17 | 20,19 | 20,18 | 23,11 | 24,6 | 27,29 | 27,1 | 26,08 | 25,89 | 27,48 |
ME in USD million | 286 | 612 | 607 | 310 | 260 | 275 | 306 | 317 | 347 | 408 |
ME% of GDP | 1,5 | 3 | 3 | 1,3 | 1 | 1 | 1,1 | 1,2 | 1,3 | 1,5 |
Military expenditure (ME) growth as percentage from 2009-2018:
Year | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
ME% Growth | -1.7 | 113 | -0.8 | -49 | -16 | 5.8 | 11.3 | 3.6 | 9.5 | 17.6 |
- State of military forces
The Ugandan government regularly outspends neighbouring countries on the development of its armed forces. The threat of spill overs from conflict in South Sudan and the DRC has forced the country to ensure it has a well-equipped and professional army. Yoweri Museweni, the country’s president has also been working to ensure that the country is regarded as a military giant in the region ever since the introduction of a new government security policy in 2001. During this period the government was also facing a major threat from the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) which only ended in 2006.
Considering the geographical size of Uganda, the country has a relatively large army. The military is also well equipped with some of the latest technologies, soldiers undergo rigorous training as the country boasts a number of advanced training facilities. Since the country’s 2007 African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) deployment to battle Al-Shabaab, the army has acquired valuable experience in counter terrorism and urban warfare.
The United States of America (USA) also regularly provides training to Ugandan forces to enhance their capabilities within AMISOM. This includes training on improvised explosion device (IED) detection and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), much of which has proved very valuable in countering Al-Shabaab in Somalia.
Uganda’s army stands as a powerhouse in the region and allows the country to punch well above its weight. It has also allowed the country to take an active role in the region and continent as its army has a well-established reputation.
- Country threat report
Threat type | Overview |
External | Uganda faces a threat externally from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) who operates in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The ADF is known to move between the two countries. |
Internal | Internally Uganda has to deal with the threat of possible attacks by Al-Shabaab cells. |
Regional | At a regional level Uganda faces instability to the north with ongoing violence in South Sudan, the violence that sporadically breaks out in eastern DRC is also problematic. |
Political | Politically Uganda is relatively stable, President Yoweri Museweni has been in power since January 1986 and has eliminated term limits. |
Economic | Uganda has lots of fertile land and mineral deposits giving it a strong economy, generating regular growth year on year. Transparency International has rated Uganda’s public sector as one of the most corrupt in the world. |
- Major external deployments
Operation | Country | Personnel/Assests |
Ugabag1 28th under AMISOM2 | Somalia | Troops: ~1406 |
Third Military Training and Mentoring Team | Equatorial Guinea | Troops: ? |
4th UN Guard Unit | Somalia | Troops: 625 |
1: Ugandan Battle Groups 2: African Union Mission in Somalia
Contact
Ministry of Defence
Mbuya Hill
P.O Box 3798
Kampala
Uganda
Tel: +256 41 270331
E-Mail: [email protected]
Updated on 7 October 2019