The Chadian Ground Forces (Arabic: القوات البرية التشادية, French: Armée de terre tchadienne) are the main and largest component of the Chadian National Army. Historically Chad has had one of the strongest armies in the Sahara region, larger than the Malian or Central African army, with a total of 25,000 to 30,000 troops.[1] Chad has been involved as part of the Multinational Joint Task Force in fighting the Boko Haram insurgency, deploying troops to Niger and Mali.[2] Another common role of the Chadian Army has been quelling rebellions against the central government of Chad.

Structure

Equipment

Small arms

Name Image Caliber Type Origin Notes
Pistols
Tokagypt 58[4] 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol  Soviet Union
 Hungarian People's Republic 		Hungarian copy of the Soviet TT pistol for Egypt in 9mm Parabellum caliber.
MAC Mle 1950 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol  France
MAB PA-15[5] 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol  France
Walther P1[4] 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol  West Germany
Walther PP[4] .25 ACP Semi-automatic pistol  Germany
Browning Hi-Power[4] 9×19mm Semi-automatic pistol  Belgium
M1911 .45 ACP Semi-automatic pistol  United States
Manurhin MR 73[6] .357 Magnum Revolver  France
Submachine guns
Uzi[4] 9×19mm Submachine gun  Israel
Beretta M12 9×19mm Submachine gun  Italy
MAT-49[4] 9×19mm Submachine gun  France
Rifles
AKM[4] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Soviet Union
AK-74[4] 5.45×39mm Assault rifle  Soviet Union
Type 56[7] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  China
IMI Galil 5.56×45mm Assault rifle  Israel
IWI Galil ACE[8] 5.56×45mm Assault rifle  Israel
IWI Tavor[9] 5.56×45mm Bullpup
Assault rifle 		 Israel
FAMAS[10] 5.56×45mm Bullpup
Assault rifle 		 France
FN FAL[4] 7.62×51mm Battle rifle  Belgium
Heckler & Koch G3[4] 7.62×51mm Battle rifle  West Germany
SIG SG 540[4] 7.62×51mm Battle rifle   Switzerland Uses the SG 542 variant.
Machine guns
RPD[4] 7.62×39mm Squad automatic weapon  Soviet Union
RPK[4] 7.62×39mm Squad automatic weapon  Soviet Union
PKM[4] 7.62×54mmR General-purpose machine gun  Soviet Union
KPV 14.5×114mm Heavy machine gun  Soviet Union
DShK[4] 12.7×108mm Heavy machine gun  Soviet Union
Zastava M72 7.62×39mm Light machine gun  Yugoslavia
FN MAG[4] 7.62×51mm General-purpose machine gun  Belgium
Browning M2[4] .50 BMG Heavy machine gun  United States
Rocket propelled grenade launchers
RPG-2 40mm Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union
RPG-7[4] 40mm Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union
RPG-18 64mm Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union
M72 LAW 66mm Rocket-propelled grenade  United States
Grenade launchers
M79[4] 40×46mm Grenade launcher  United States
AGS-17[4] 30×29mm Automatic grenade launcher  Soviet Union

Anti-tank weapons

Name Image Type Origin Caliber Notes
M40A1[11] Recoilless rifle  United States 106mm
MILAN[12] Anti-tank missile  France
 West Germany 		469 mounted on light vehicles
Eryx[12] Anti-tank missile  France

Anti-aircraft weapons

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
ZPU[12] Anti-aircraft gun  Soviet Union Unknown INS Variants include ZPU-1, ZPU-2 and ZPU-4.
ZU-23-2[12] Anti-aircraft gun  Soviet Union Unknown INS
2K12 Kub[12] Surface-to-air missile  Soviet Union 4 Launchers (1 battery) INS
9K32 Strela-2[13] MANPADS  Soviet Union Unknown INS
9K38 Igla[14] MANPADS  Soviet Union 50 INS
FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS  United States Unknown INS

Artillery

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
Self-propelled artillery
2S1 Gvozdika[12] Self-propelled artillery  Soviet Union 10 INS
Rocket artillery
BM-21 Grad[12] Multiple rocket launcher  Soviet Union 6 INS
Type 63[12] Multiple rocket launcher  China Unknown INS
PHL-81[12] Multiple rocket launcher  China 5 INS
Field artillery
M101[12] Howitzer  United States 5 INS
MO-120-AM50[12] Mortar  France Unknown INS

Tanks and tank destroyers

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
Type 59G[15] Main battle tank  China 30 INS
T-55[12] Medium tank  Soviet Union 60 INS
WMA-301[12] Tank destroyer  China 30 INS

Armored vehicles

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
BTR-60[12] Armoured personnel carrier  Soviet Union 20 INS
BTR-80[12] Armoured personnel carrier  Soviet Union 24 INS
BTR-3E[12] Armoured personnel carrier  Ukraine 12 INS
BRDM-2[12] Amphibious armored scout car  Soviet Union 100 INS
BMP-1[12] Infantry fighting vehicle  Soviet Union 80 INS
BMP-1U[12] Infantry fighting vehicle  Ukraine 42 INS
WZ-523[12] Armoured personnel carrier  China 8 INS
ZFB-05[14] Armoured personnel carrier  China 10 INS
VAB-VTT[12] Armoured personnel carrier  France 25 INS
ACMAT Bastion[12] Armoured personnel carrier  France 26 INS
Black Scorpion [12] Armoured personnel carrier  Belgium 10 INS
Terrier LT-79 [16] Armoured personnel carrier  United States 60 INS
Panhard AML[12] Armored car  France 132 INS AML-60 and AML-90
Eland-90[12] Armored car  South Africa 82 INS
Panhard ERC-90F4 Sagaie[12] Armored car  France 4 INS
EE-9 Cascavel[12] Armored car  Brazil 20 INS
RAM MK3[12] Armored car  Israel 42 INS
Otokar Cobra[14] Infantry mobility vehicle  Turkey 20 INS
V-150 Commando[12] Armored personnel carrier  United States 9 INS
Ejder Yalçın[17] MRAP  Turkey 20 INS
Ara 2[16] MRAP  Nigeria 8 INS

References

  1. ^ Chad Army. Globalsecurity.org
  2. ^ Thurston, Alexander (18 October 2017). America Should Beware a Chadian Military Scorned. Foreign Policy. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  3. ^ Alwihda, Info. "Tchad : nominations dans 4 zones de défense et de sécurité et à la DGSSIE". Alwihda Info - Actualités TCHAD, Afrique, International (in French). Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Jones, Richard D.; Ness, Leland S., eds. (January 27, 2009). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010 (35th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
  5. ^ Le Goff, Hervé (September 2007). "Les MAB P.8 et P.15 "Combat"". Gazette des Armes (in French). No. 390. p. 57.
  6. ^ Hogg, Ian (1989). Jane's Infantry Weapons 1989-90, 15th Edition. Jane's Information Group. pp. 826–836. ISBN 0-7106-0889-6.
  7. ^ McNab, Chris (2002). 20th Century Military Uniforms (2nd ed.). Kent: Grange Books. p. 42. ISBN 0760730946.
  8. ^ Binnie, Jeremy; de Cherisey, Erwan (2017). "New-model African armies" (PDF). Jane's. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Israeli arms transfers to sub-Saharan Africa" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 15, 2013.
  10. ^ "Tchad : Instruction de 70 élèves-officiers tchadiens au combat d'infanterie". ecpad.fr. French Ministry of Defense. 30 March 2015. Archived from the original on 16 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  11. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 2016). The Military Balance 2016. Vol. 116. Routlegde. ISBN 9781857438352.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac International Institute for Strategic Studies (2021). The Military Balance. p. 457. ISBN 9781032012278.
  13. ^ Dr. Michael Ashkenazi; Princess Mawuena Amuzu; Jan Grebe; Christof Kögler; Marc Kösling (February 2013). "MANPADS: A Terrorist Threat to Civilian Aviation?" (PDF). Bonn International Center of Conversion (BICC) – Internationales Konversionszentrum Bonn GmbH. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  14. ^ a b c "Trade Registers". armstrade.sipri.org.
  15. ^ "Chinese-made Type 59G main battle tanks in service with Chad armed forces". armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  16. ^ a b "Chadian military parade reveals new equipment deliveries". Janes. 2021-08-19. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  17. ^ "Nurol Makina vehicles make inroads in North Africa". Janes. 2021-05-19. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
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