Kuwait National Guard
- 1973 Samita border skirmish
- Yom Kippur War
- Iran–Iraq War
- Gulf War
- Invasion of Kuwait
- Operation Desert Storm
- Operation Southern Watch
- 1994 October Crisis
- Operation Desert Fox
- War on Terror
- Iraq War
- Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)
The Kuwait National Guard (KNG) (Arabic: الحرس الوطني الكويتي) is an independent combat institution tasked mainly with the defense of the country and its territories.[1] The National Guard traces its heritage directly to the cavalrymen and infantrymen that defended Kuwait's three mounted defensive walls.[2][3] Since its inception, the Kuwait National Guard under the guidance of the respective leadership; executed, participated in, and supported carrying out all conflicts in which the Kuwait Armed Forces have engaged since 1967.[1]
Creation and patron
The founding of the Kuwait National Guard was first conceived during the Six-Day War and following the outcomes of Operation Vantage when Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah[4] was the Crown Prince of Kuwait through the 2nd decree of 1967 on June 6 during the reign of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah.[1] A mission for this purpose was led by Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah,[5] who was the driving force in forming the various tasks forces within the National Guard and who has remained at the head of the institution since its enacting in 1967.[6][7]
Leadership
National Guard Commander
# | Name | Title | Tenure | Note | Picture |
1 | Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah[6][7][8] | His Highness Commander of Kuwait National Guard | 1967–present | Most senior serving member and Chieftain dean of the House of Sabah |
Deputy National Guard Commanders
# | Name | Rank | Tenure | Note | Picture |
1 | Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah[6][9][10] | Deputy National Guard Commander | 1994–2003 | The Crown Prince of Kuwait (2006–2020) The Emir of Kuwait (2020–2023) | |
2 | Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah[6][11] | Deputy National Guard Commander | 2004–2020 | The Crown Prince of Kuwait (2020–2023)[6][11] Emir of Kuwait (2023–present) | |
3 | Ahmed Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah | Deputy National Guard Commander | 2020–2022 | Prime Minister of Kuwait (2022–2023) | |
4 | Faisal Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah | Deputy National Guard Commander[12] | 2022–present | Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior (2021-2022) |
History
50th Anniversary of the Kuwait National Guard
In June 2017, the Kuwait National Guard commemorated their 50th Anniversary Golden jubilee under the leadership of the Commander-in-chief, the Emir of Kuwait, and directives of Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah.
Ranks
- Officers
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kuwait National Guard
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
فريق أول Fariq 'awal | فريق Fariq | لواء Liwa | عميد Amid | عقيد Aqid | مقدم Muqaddam | رائد Ra'id | نقيب Naqib | ملازم أول Mulazim awwal | ملازم Mulazim |
- Enlisted
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kuwait National Guard
| No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
وكيل أول Wakil 'awal | وكيل Wakil | رقيب أول Raqib 'awal | رقیب Raqib | عريف Earif | جندي أول Jundiun awwal | جندي Jundiun |
Equipment
Armored Fighting Vehicles
Name | Type | Quantity | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pandur | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 150 | Austria | 70 in 6 versions.some with 90mm cockerill turret First entered service 1997 (produced by AV Technology) 80 Pandur II with a 25mm Bushmaster turret |
Desert Chameleon | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 20 | United States | 6×6 APC with 30 mm cannon. First entered service 2011 |
Condor (APC) | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 8 | West Germany | Kuwait owns the advanced version (Condor II) |
Shorland S600 | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 22 | United Kingdom | 22 in 5 versions (APC, CPV, ambulance, crowd control and mortar carrier) |
Véhicule Blindé Léger | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 97 | France | |
Humvee | Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle | 2,300 | United States | Vehicles sold via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. |
Sherpa light Scout | Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle | 3,000 | France | 1,000 Sherpas sold to Kuwait National Guard in 2015 Sherpa Scouts sold to the Kuwaiti military in 2016 under a €270 m contract. |
References
- ^ a b c [1] Archived 4 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine Kuwait National Guard Mission Statement and History; (Arabic Read)
- ^ [2] Kuwait National Guard Archives, Early Defense Cavaly & Infantry led by Sheikh Abdullah Jaber Al-Abdullah II Al-Sabah; (Arabic Read)
- ^ [3] Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Kuwait National Guard Archives, Early Defense Cavalry & Infantry led by His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
- ^ [4] Kuwait National Guard Archives; His Highness Sheikh Jaber Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
- ^ [5] Kuwait National Guard Archives, Old and New, His Highness Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah
- ^ a b c d e "- KUWAIT NATIONAL GUARD - الحرس الوطني الكويتي -". Kuwait National Guard. Archived from the original on 16 July 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2015. (Arabic Read)
- ^ a b [6] Archived 3 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine Profile & Accomplishments of Kuwait National Guard Commander; His Highness Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah; (Arabic Read)
- ^ [7] Kuwait National Guard Archives, Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah and Sheikh Abdullah Jaber Al-Abdullah II Al-Sabah with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
- ^ [8] Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Kuwait National Guard Archives, His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah with His Royal Highness Mutaib bin Abdullah in 2001; Retrieved March 7, 2015
- ^ [9] Kuwait National Guard Archives; His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (Arabic Read)
- ^ a b "Profile & Accomplishments of Kuwait National Guard Deputy Commander and acting Minister by Government Protocol; His Excellency Sheikh Meshal Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah" (in Arabic). Kuwait National Guard. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ "KUNA : Kuwait cabinet fills leadership roles across state bodies - General - 07/11/2022". www.kuna.net.kw. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
External links
- Kuwait National Guard official page