History
1990–1991 order of battle
Gebru Tareke listed Ethiopian ground forces in 1990 as comprising four revolutionary armies organized as task forces, eleven corps, twenty-four infantry divisions, and four mountain divisions, reinforced by five mechanized divisions, two airborne divisions, and ninety-five brigades, including four mechanized brigades, three artillery brigades, four tank brigades, twelve special commandos and para commandos brigades – including the Spartakiad, which became operational in 1987 under the preparation and guidance of North Koreans – seven BM-rocket battalions, and ten brigades of paramilitary forces.[4]
Forces underarms were estimated at 230,000 in early 1991.[5] Mengistu's People's Militia had also grown to about 200,000 members. The mechanized forces of the army comprised 1,200 T-54/55, 100 T-62 tanks, and 1,100 armored personnel carriers (APCs), but readiness was estimated to be only about 30 percent operational, because of the withdrawal of financial support, lack of maintenance expertise and parts from the Soviet Union, Cuba, and other nations.[6]
The army commands consisted of the:
- First Revolutionary Army (headquartered at Harar, 1988: 601st and 602nd Corps[7])
- Second Revolutionary Army (headquartered at Asmera, 1988: 606th-610th Corps)
- Third Revolutionary Army (headquartered at Kombolcha, 1988: 603rd, 604th, 605th Corps)
- Fourth Revolutionary Army (headquartered at Nekemte, 1988: 611th, 612th, 614th Corps)
- Fifth Revolutionary Army (headquartered at Gondar)[8]
To these armies were assigned the operational forces of the army, comprising:
- 31 infantry divisions.[5] The 30th and 31st Infantry Divisions were the last formed, circa November–December 1989.[7] There were also the 102nd Airborne Division and 103rd Commando Divisions, which began training in January 1987.[9]
- 32 tank battalions
- 40 artillery battalions
- 12 air defense battalions
- 8 commando brigades
Twenty-first century structure
The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated in the Military Balance 2009 that the army comprised 4 Military Regional Commands; (Northern (HQ Mekele.[10]), Western, Central, and Eastern) each acting as corps HQ,[11] there also being a Support Command and a strategic reserve of four divisions and six specialist brigades centred on Addis Ababa.
Each of the four corps comprises a headquarters, an estimated one mechanised division and between 4 and 6 infantry divisions.
In 2014 the regional commanders were listed by dissident sources as:
- Central Command, Major General Yohannes Woldegiorgis
- Northern Command, Major General Gebrat Ayele
- Western Command, Major General Birhanu Julla
- Eastern Command, Major General Abraha Woldemariam[12]
The modern ENDF has a wide mix of equipment. Many of its major weapons systems stem from the Communist era and are of Soviet and Eastern bloc design. The United States was Ethiopia's major arms supplier from the end of the Second World War until 1977, when Ethiopia began receiving massive arms shipments from the Soviet Union.[13] These shipments, including armored patrol boats, transport and jet fighter aircraft, helicopters, tanks, trucks, missiles, artillery, and small arms have incurred an unserviced Ethiopian debt to the former Soviet Union estimated at more than $3.5 billion.
Ethiopia made significant purchases of arms from Russia in late 1999 and early 2000 before the May 2000 United Nations arms embargo went into effect.[14] It is likely that much of that equipment suffered battle damage in the war with Eritrea. Thus, raw numbers alone will probably overstate the capacity of the ENDF.
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