Uganda People’s Defence Force

62294

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

 

  1. 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
1 engineer brigade
1 commando battalion

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

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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