The Armed Forces of the Republic of the Congo (French: Forces armées de la République du Congo), also less formally denoted as the Forces armées congolaises or its acronym FAC, are the military forces of the Republic of the Congo. They consist of the Congolese Army, the Congolese Air Force, the Congolese Marine (Navy), and the Congolese National Gendarmerie. The dissolution of French Equatorial Africa in 1958, and France's impending military withdrawal from the Congo in August 1960, provided the impetus for the formation of the FAC. The FAC and state paramilitary agencies are headed by an Armed Forces Chief of General Staff, usually appointed by the President of the Republic of the Congo. Major General Guy Blanchard Okoï has served as chief of staff since 2012.
| Armed Forces of the Republic of the Congo | |
|---|---|
| Forces Armées de la République du Congo | |
| Founded | 15 August 1960 |
| Current form | 16 January 1961 |
| Service branches | Army (Ground Force) Air Force Marine Gendarmerie |
| Headquarters | Brazzaville |
| Leadership | |
| President | Denis Sassou Nguesso |
| Minister of National Defense | Charles Richard Mondjo |
| Chief of General Staff | Guy Blanchard Okoï |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 20 |
| Active personnel | 10,000 (2014) |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | $705 million (2015)[1] |
| Percent of GDP | 8.4 (2015) |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | None |
| Foreign suppliers |
|
| Related articles | |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Republic of the Congo |
History
editThe Congolese military was created on January 16, 1961, and reflected the nature of the colonial security forces, which recruited among the country's northern ethnic groups and were staffed by junior Bakongo officers and a handful of French senior commissioned officers. President Alphonse Massamba-Débat, who seized power in 1963, expelled all the French personnel and sidelined the military in favor of independent political militias, which were trained by Cuban troops. The militias and the Congo's civil defense corps were later integrated with the FAC as the Armée Nationale Populaire.
Under the People's Republic of the Congo, the FAC was again reorganized, with Mbochi career soldiers making up the bulk of the new officer corps; its effectiveness and standards, however, were gradually eroded by draconian political purges throughout the 1970s. A second major setback occurred during the 1990s, when mass desertions led to many FAC officers and enlisted troops joining regional militias. The FAC was reformed for the third time after the Second Congo War, incorporating many former rebels and militia combatants.
On 5 February 2012, there were munitions explosions at a tank regiment (seemingly 'Regiment Blinde') barracks located in Brazzaville's fifth arrondissement, Ouenzé. Some 206 people were initially reported killed. There are five military barracks in the city, and after the explosion officials said the government had promised to move all munitions out of the capital.[2]
Army equipment
editSmall arms
edit
Anti-tank weapons
edit| Name | Image | Type | Origin | Caliber | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M18[9] | 
|
Recoilless rifle |  United States
|
57mm |
Tanks
edit| Name | Image | Type | Origin | Quantity | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-54/55 | 
|
Medium tank |  Soviet Union
|
25[12] | ||
| Type 59 | 
|
Main battle tank |  People's Republic of China
|
15[12] | ||
| Type 62 | 
|
Light tank | People's Republic of China
|
10[12] | ||
| Type 63 | 
|
Light tank | People's Republic of China
|
8[12] | ||
| PT-76 | 
|
Amphibious Light tank | Soviet Union
|
3[12] |
Scout cars
edit| Name | Image | Type | Origin | Quantity | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRDM-1 | 
|
Scout car |  Soviet Union
|
25[12] | ||
| BRDM-2 | 
|
Scout car | Soviet Union
|
Armored personnel carriers
edit| Name | Image | Type | Origin | Quantity | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTR-60 | 
|
Amphibious Armored personnel carrier | Soviet Union
|
30[12] | ||
| AT105 Saxon | 
|
Armored personnel carrier |  United Kingdom
|
28[12] | ||
| Panhard M3 | 
|
Armoured personnel carrier |  France
|
9[13] | ||
| Mamba | 
|
Armoured personnel carrier |  South Africa
|
18[12] | ||
| Marauder | 
|
Armored personnel carrier |  South Africa
|
37[12] | ||
| ZFB-05 | 
|
Armored personnel carrier | People's Republic of China
|
14[13] |
Artillery
edit| Name | Image | Type | Origin | Quantity | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-propelled artillery | ||||||
| 2S1 Gvozdika | 
|
Self-propelled artillery | Soviet Union
|
3[12] | ||
| Rocket artillery | ||||||
| RPU-14 | 
|
Multiple rocket launcher | Soviet Union
|
Unknown[12] | ||
| BM-14 | 
|
Multiple rocket launcher | Soviet Union
|
Unknown[12] | ||
| BM-21 Grad | 
|
Multiple rocket launcher | Soviet Union
|
10[12] | ||
| Mortars | ||||||
| PM-41 | 
|
Mortar | Soviet Union
|
Unknown[12] | ||
| PM-43 | 
|
Mortar | Soviet Union
|
28[12] | ||
| Field artillery | ||||||
| ZiS-2 | 
|
Anti-tank gun | Soviet Union
|
5[12] | ||
| BS-3 | 
|
Field gun | Soviet Union
|
10[12] | ||
| D-30 | 
|
Howitzer | Soviet Union
|
10[12] | ||
| D-20 | 
|
Howitzer | Soviet Union
|
8[13] | ||
| M-46 | 
|
Field gun | Soviet Union
|
5[12] | ||
Air defence systems
editTowed anti-aircraft guns
edit| Name | Image | Type | Origin | Quantity | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZPU-4 | 
|
Anti-aircraft gun | Soviet Union
|
Unknown[12] | ||
| ZPU-2 | 
|
Anti-aircraft gun | Soviet Union
|
Unknown[12] | ||
| 61-K | 
|
Autocannon | Soviet Union
|
28[12] | ||
| S-60 | 
|
Autocannon | Soviet Union
|
Unknown[12] | ||
| KS-19 | 
|
Anti-aircraft gun | Soviet Union
|
4[13] |
Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns
edit| Name | Image | Type | Origin | Quantity | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZSU-23-4 Shilka | 
|
SPAAG | Soviet Union
|
8[13] |
Navy
edit
The Navy has around 800 personnel. In October 2007, the US Navy provided some training to Congolese Navy personnel in Pointe-Noire, a port city that is the second largest settlement in the country.[14]
As of 2016 it was commanded by Rear Admiral Andre Bouagnabea-Moundanza.[15]
As of 2019 the Navy operates a single Mil Mi-14 helicopter.[16]
Air Force
edit
After achieving independence from France in 1960, the Congolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Congolaise) was started with equipment such as the Douglas C-47s, Broussards and Bell 47Gs, these were followed by Nord Noratlas tactical transports and Sud Alouette helicopter. In the 1970s the air force switched to Soviet equipment. This included five Ilyushin IL-14 and six turboprop Antonov An-24 transports and an An-26 in return for providing bases for Cuban MiG-17 operations over Angola. These fighters and a few MiG-15UTI combat trainers were transferred to the FAC. In 1990 these fighter were replaced by 16 USSR supplied MiG-21MF/bis Fishbeds plus a couple of MiG-21US trainers. Together with a Soviet training mission which stayed until late 1991, during that time there were numerous accidents that involved both Soviet and Congolese personnel. After the Soviets left there was only limited funding for MiG operations and they were withdrawn. Six Mi-8 helicopters were delivered from Ukraine in mid-1997 before the Cobra rebel takeover.
In 1990, the Air Force was reformed into its present state. Most fighter aircraft it possessed were scrapped in 2001. France and China provided most training to the Air Force in recent times.
See the article Congolese Air Force for current inventory.
References
edit- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "At least 206 people dead as arms depot explodes in Republic of Congo". nydailynews.com. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
- ^ "Congo : PCAD – suspension temporaire des opérations de collecte d'armes" (in French). 24 November 2006. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
- ^ a b c Small Arms Survey (2003). "Making the Difference?: Weapon Collection and Small Arms Availability in the Republic of Congo". Small Arms Survey 2003: Development Denied. Oxford University Press. pp. 267–268. ISBN 0199251754. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-08-29. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Congo". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002. p. 1440.
- ^ "Post-WWII use of the MAS-36 rifle: Part II (export users)". wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com. 2015-08-23. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
- ^ Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Congo". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002.
- ^ a b Gander, Terry J.; Cutshaw, Charles Q., eds. (2001). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001/2002 (27th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 9780710623171.
- ^ a b c Small Arms Survey (2003). "Making the Difference?: Weapon Collection and Small Arms Availability in the Republic of Congo". Small Arms Survey 2003: Development Denied. Oxford University Press. p. 267. ISBN 0199251754. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-08-29. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
- ^ Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Congo". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002. p. 1441.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x International Institute for Strategic Studies (2021). The Military Balance. p. 458. ISBN 9781032012278.
- ^ a b c d e "Trade Registers". armstrade.sipri.org.
- ^ "US Navy teaches Congolese sailors". Archived from the original on 5 August 2014.
- ^ Commander of Congolese Navy Rear Admiral Andre BOUAGNABEA-MOUNDANZA and accompanying party was hosted by Commander of Turkish Navy Admiral Bülent BOSTANOĞLU on 1 February 2016 Archived 18 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Turkish Navy website. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ "World Air Forces 2020". Flight Global. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook (2024 ed.). CIA. (Archived 2003 edition.)