Somali Armed Forces: Difference between revisions

Somali Armed Forces
Somali Armed Forces
Ciidamada Qalabka Sida; القوات المسلحة الصومالية
Founded	1960
Service branches	Somali National Army; Somali Air Force; Somali Navy
Headquarters	Mogadishu, Somalia
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Minister of Defence	Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini
Chief of Army	Mohamed Adam Ahmed
Personnel
Military age	18
Available for; military service	2,260,175 (2010 est.; males); 2,159,293 (2010 est.; females), age 18–49
Fit for; military service	1,331,894 (2010 est.; males); 1,357,051 (2010 est.; females), age 18–49
Reaching military; age annually	101,634 (2010 est.; males); 101,072 (2010 est.; females)
Active personnel	20,000
Expenditure
Percent of GDP	0.9% (2005)
Industry
Foreign suppliers	European Union; United States; Gulf states; Turkey

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Revision as of 17:41, 16 August 2016

The Somali Armed Forces (SAF) are the military forces of Somalia, officially known as the Federal Republic of Somalia.^[3] Headed by the President as Commander in Chief, they are constitutionally mandated to ensure the nation's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.^[4]

The SAF was initially made up of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police Force.^[5] In the post-independence period, it grew to become among the larger militaries in Africa.^[6] Due to patrimonial and repressive state policies, the military had by 1988 begun to disintegrate.^[7] By the time dictator Siad Barre fled in 1991, the armed forces had dissolved.^[8] As of January 2014, the security sector is overseen by the Government of Somalia's Ministry of Defence, Ministry of National Security.^[9] The Somaliland, and Puntland regional governments maintain their own security and police forces.

History

Middle Ages to colonial period

Historically, Somali society conferred distinction upon warriors (waranle) and rewarded military acumen. All Somali males were regarded as potential soldiers, except for the odd religious cleric (wadaado).^[10] Somalia's many Sultanates each maintained regular troops. In the early Middle Ages, the conquest of Shewa by the Ifat Sultanate ignited a rivalry for supremacy with the Solomonic dynasty.

Many similar battles were fought between the succeeding Sultanate of Adal and the Solomonids, with both sides achieving victory and suffering defeat. During the protracted Ethiopian-Adal War (1529–1559), Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi defeated several Ethiopian Emperors and embarked on a conquest referred to as the Futuh Al-Habash ("Conquest of Abyssinia"), which brought three-quarters of Christian Abyssinia under the power of the Muslim Adal Sultanate.^[11]^[12] Al-Ghazi's forces and their Ottoman allies came close to extinguishing the ancient Ethiopian kingdom, but the Abyssinians managed to secure the assistance of Cristóvão da Gama's Portuguese troops and maintain their domain's autonomy. However, both polities in the process exhausted their resources and manpower, which resulted in the contraction of both powers and changed regional dynamics for centuries to come. Many historians trace the origins of hostility between Somalia and Ethiopia to this war.^[13] Some scholars also argue that this conflict proved, through their use on both sides, the value of firearms such as the matchlock musket, cannons and the arquebus over traditional weapons.^[14]

At the turn of the 20th century, the Majeerteen Sultanate, Sultanate of Hobyo, Warsangali Sultanate and Dervish State employed cavalry in their battles against the imperialist European powers during the Campaign of the Sultanates.

In Italian Somaliland, eight "Arab-Somali" infantry battalions, the Ascari, and several irregular units of Italian officered dubats were established. These units served as frontier guards and police. There were also Somali artillery and zaptié (carabinieri) units forming part of the Italian Royal Corps of Colonial Troops from 1889 to 1941. Between 1911 and 1912, over 1,000 Somalis from Mogadishu served as combat units along with Eritrean and Italian soldiers in the Italo-Turkish War.^[15] Most of the troops stationed never returned home until they were transferred back to Italian Somaliland in preparation for the invasion of Ethiopia in 1935.^[16]

In 1914, the Somaliland Camel Corps was formed in the British Somaliland protectorate and saw service before, during, and after the Italian invasion of the territory during World War II.^[10]

Modern

File:General Kediye.jpg

Lieutenant Colonel Salaad Gabeyre Kediye, an early Somali military leader. Kediye was executed after a military power struggle in 1972.

Just prior to independence in 1960, the Trust Territory of Somalia established a national army to defend the nascent Somali Republic's borders. A law to that effect was passed on 6 April 1960. Thus the Somali Police Force's Mobile Group (Darawishta Poliska or Darawishta) was formed. 12 April 1960 has since been marked as Armed Forces Day.^[17] British Somaliland became independent on 26 June 1960 as the State of Somaliland, and the Trust Territory of Somalia (the former Italian Somaliland) followed suit five days later.^[18] On 1 July 1960, the two territories united to form the Somali Republic.^[19]

After independence, the Darawishta merged with the former British Somaliland Scouts to form the 5,000 strong Somali National Army.^[20] The new military's first commander was Colonel Daud Abdulle Hirsi, a former officer in the British military administration's police force, the Somalia Gendarmerie.^[10] Officers were trained in the United Kingdom, Egypt and Italy. Despite the social and economic benefits associated with military service, the armed forces began to suffer chronic manpower shortages only a few years after independence.^[21]

Somali-Ethiopian Border War (1964)

The Somali National Army (SNA) was battle-tested in 1964 when the conflict with Ethiopia over the Somali-inhabited Ogaden erupted into warfare. On 16 June 1963, Somali guerrillas started an insurgency at Hodayo, in eastern Ethiopia, a watering place north of Werder, after Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie rejected their demand for self-government in the Ogaden. The Somali government initially refused to support the guerrilla forces, which eventually numbered about 3,000. However, in January 1964, after Ethiopia sent reinforcements to the Ogaden, Somali forces launched ground and air attacks across the border and started providing assistance to the guerrillas. The Ethiopian Air Force responded with punitive strikes across its southwestern frontier against Feerfeer, northeast of Beledweyne and Galkacyo. On 6 March 1964, Somalia and Ethiopia agreed to a cease-fire. At the end of the month, the two sides signed an accord in Khartoum, Sudan, agreeing to withdraw their troops from the border, cease hostile propaganda, and start peace negotiations.

Shifta War

The Shifta War (1963–1967) was a secessionist conflict in which ethnic Somalis in the Northern Frontier District (NFD) of Kenya (a region that is and has historically been almost exclusively inhabited by ethnic Somalis^[22]^[23]^[24]) attempted to join with their fellow Somalis in a Greater Somalia. The Kenyan government named the conflict "shifta", after the Somali word for "bandit", as part of a propaganda effort.

The province thus entered a period of running skirmishes between the Kenyan Army and the Northern Frontier District Liberation Movement (NFDLM) insurgents backed by the Somali Republic. One immediate consequence was the signing in 1964 of a Mutual Defense Treaty between Jomo Kenyatta's administration and the government of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie.^[25]

In 1967, Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda mediated peace talks between Somali Prime Minister Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal and Kenyatta. These bore fruit in October 1967, when the governments of Kenya and Somalia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (the Arusha Memorandum) that resulted in an official ceasefire, though regional security did not prevail until 1969.^[26]^[27] After a 1969 coup in Somalia, the new military leader Mohamed Siad Barre, abolished this MoU as he claimed it was corrupt and unsatisfactory. The Manyatta strategy is seen as playing a key role in ending the insurgency, though the Somali government may have also decided that the potential benefits of a war simply was not worth the cost and risk. However, Somalia did not renounce its claim to Greater Somalia.^[25]

1969 Coup d'état

File:General Kediye.jpg

Lieutenant Colonel Salaad Gabeyre Kediye, the "Father of the Revolution" that succeeded Somalia's civilian administration.

In 1968, Somalia's then President Abdirashid Ali Shermarke narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. A grenade exploded near the car that was transporting him back from the airport, but failed to kill him.^[28]

On October 15, 1969, while paying an official visit to the northern town of Las Anod, Shermarke was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards.^[28]^[29] On duty outside the guest-house where the president was staying, the officer fired an automatic rifle at close range, instantly killing Shermarke. Observers suggested that the assassination was inspired by personal rather than political motives.^[28]

Shermarke's assassination was quickly followed by a military coup d'état on October 21, 1969 (the day after his funeral), in which the Somali Army seized power without encountering armed opposition — essentially a bloodless takeover. The putsch was spearheaded by Major General Muhammad Siad Barre, who at the time commanded the army.^[29] Barre was installed as president of the Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC), the new government of Somalia. Alongside him, the SRC was led by Lieutenant Colonel Salaad Gabeyre Kediye and Chief of Police Jama Korshel. Kediye officially held the title of "Father of the Revolution," and Barre shortly afterwards became the head of the SRC.^[30] The SRC subsequently renamed the country the Somali Democratic Republic,^[31]^[32] arrested members of the former government, banned political parties,^[33] dissolved the parliament and the Supreme Court, and suspended the constitution.^[34]

In 2005, Cambridge historian Christopher Andrew published The World Was Going Our Way, a comprehensive account of KGB operations in Africa, Asia and Latin America co-authored with the late KGB Major Vasili Mitrokhin. Based on documents drawn from the Mitrokhin Archive, it alleges that Kediye had been a paid KGB agent codenamed "OPERATOR". Ironically, the KGB-trained National Security Service (NSS), the SRC's intelligence wing, had carried out Kediye's initial arrest.[1]

Ogaden War

Somalia committed to invade the Ogaden at 0300 13 July 1977 (5 Hamle, 1969), according to Ethiopian documents (some other sources state 23 July).^[36] According to Ethiopian sources, the invaders numbered 70,000 troops, 40 fighter planes, 250 tanks, 350 armoured personnel carriers, and 600 artillery.^[36] By the end of the month 60% of the Ogaden had been taken by the SNA-WSLF force, including Gode, which was captured by units commanded by Colonel Abdullahi Ahmed Irro. The attacking forces did suffer some early setbacks; Ethiopian defenders at Dire Dawa and Jijiga inflicted heavy casualties on assaulting forces. The Ethiopian Air Force (EAF) also began to establish air superiority using its Northrop F-5s, despite being initially outnumbered by Somali MiG-21s. However, Somalia was easily overpowering Ethiopian military hardware and technology capability. Army General Vasily Petrov of the Soviet Armed Forces had to report back to Moscow the "sorry state" of the Ethiopian army. The 3rd and 4th Ethiopian Infantry Divisions that suffered the brunt of the Somali invasion had practically ceased to exist.^[37]

The USSR, finding itself supplying both sides of a war, attempted to mediate a ceasefire. When their efforts failed, the Soviets abandoned Somalia. All aid to Siad Barre's regime was halted, while arms shipments to Ethiopia were increased. Soviet military aid (second in magnitude only to the October 1973 gigantic resupplying of Syrian forces during the Yom Kippur War) and advisors flooded into the country along with around 15,000 Cuban combat troops. Other communist countries offered assistance: the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen offered military assistance and North Korea helped train a "People's Militia"; East Germany likewise offered training, engineering and support troops.^[38] As the scale of communist assistance became clear in November 1977, Somalia broke diplomatic relations with the USSR and expelled all Soviet citizens from the country.

Not all communist states sided with Ethiopia. Because of the Sino-Soviet rivalry, China supported Somalia diplomatically and with token military aid. Romania under Nicolae Ceauşescu had a habit of breaking with Soviet policies and maintained good diplomatic relations with Siad Barre.

Somali president Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, a decorated war hero that participated in the 1964 border conflict and later led the Somali National Army's (SNA) southern front in the Ogaden War.

By 17 August, elements of the Somali army had reached the outskirts of the strategic city of Dire Dawa. Not only was the country's second largest military airbase located here, as well as Ethiopia's crossroads into the Ogaden, but Ethiopia's rail lifeline to the Red Sea ran through this city, and if the Somalis held Dire Dawa, Ethiopia would be unable to export its crops or bring in equipment needed to continue the fight. Gebre Tareke estimates the Somalis advanced with two motorized brigades, one tank battalion and one BM battery upon the city; against them were the Ethiopian Second Militia Division, the 201 Nebelbal battalion, 781 battalion of the 78th Brigade, the 4th Mechanized Company, and a tank platoon possessing two tanks.^[39] The fighting was vicious as both sides knew what the stakes were, but after two days, despite that the Somalis had gained possession of the airport at one point, the Ethiopians had repulsed the assault, forcing the Somalis to withdraw. Henceforth, Dire Dawa was never at risk of attack.^[40]

The greatest single victory of the SNA-WSLF was a second assault on Jijiga in mid-September (the Battle of Jijiga), in which the demoralized Ethiopian troops withdrew from the town. The local defenders were no match for the assaulting Somalis and the Ethiopian military was forced to withdraw past the strategic strongpoint of the Marda Pass, halfway between Jijiga and Harar. By September Ethiopia was forced to admit that it controlled only about 10% of the Ogaden and that the Ethiopian defenders had been pushed back into the non-Somali areas of Harerge, Bale, and Sidamo. However, the Somalis were unable to press their advantage because of the high attrition on its tank battalions, constant Ethiopian air attacks on their supply lines, and the onset of the rainy season which made the dirt roads unusable. During that time, the Ethiopian government managed to raise and train a giant militia force 100,000 strong and integrated it into the regular fighting force. Also, since the Ethiopian army was a client of U.S weapons, hasty acclimatization to the new Warsaw Pact bloc weaponry took place.

From October 1977 until January 1978, the SNA-WSLF forces attempted to capture Harar, where 40,000 Ethiopians had regrouped and re-armed with Soviet-supplied artillery and armor; backed by 1500 Soviet "advisors" and 11,000 Cuban soldiers, they engaged the attackers in vicious fighting. Though the Somali forces reached the city outskirts by November, they were too exhausted to take the city and eventually had to withdraw to await the Ethiopian counterattack.

The expected Ethiopian-Cuban attack occurred in early February; however, it was accompanied by a second attack that the Somalis did not expect. A column of Ethiopian and Cuban troops crossed northeast into the highlands between Jijiga and the border with Somalia, bypassing the SNA-WSLF force defending the Marda Pass. The attackers were thus able to assault from two directions in a "pincer" action, allowing the re-capture of Jijiga in only two days while killing 3,000 defenders. The Somali defense collapsed and every major Ethiopian town was recaptured in the following weeks. Recognizing that his position was untenable, Siad Barre ordered the SNA to retreat back into Somalia on 9 March 1978, although Rene LaFort claims that the Somalis, having foreseen the inevitable, had already withdrawn its heavy weapons.^[41] The last significant Somali unit left Ethiopia on 15 March 1978, marking the end of the war.

Personnel

In July 1976, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the army consisted of 22,000 personnel, 6 tank battalions, 9 mechanised infantry battalions, 5 infantry battalions, 2 commando battalions, and 11 artillery battalions (5 anti-aircraft).^[42] Two hundred T-34 and 50 T-54/55 main battle tanks had been estimated to have been delivered. The IISS emphasised that 'spares are short and not all equipment is serviceable.' The U.S. Army Area Handbook for Somalia, 1977 edition, agreed that the army comprised six tank and nine mechanised infantry battalions, but listed no infantry battalions, the two commando battalions, and 10 total artillery (five field and five anti-aircraft) battalions. (Kaplan et al., DA Pam 550-86, Second Edition, 1977, p. 315)

By 1987 the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency estimated the army was 40,000 strong.^[43] The President, Mohamed Siad Barre, held the rank of Major General and acted as Minister of Defence. There were three vice-ministers of national defence. From the SNA headquarters in Mogadishu four sectors were directed: 26th Sector at Hargeisa, 54th Sector at Garowe, 21st Sector at Dusa Mareb, and 60th Sector at Baidoa. Thirteen divisions, averaging 3,300 strong, were divided between the four sectors – four in the northernmost and three in each of the other sectors. The sectors were under the command of brigadiers (three) and a colonel (one). Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan has been reported as 26th Sector commander from 1986 to 1988. Walter S. Clarke seemed to say that Barre's son [Maslah Siad] was commanding the 77th Sector in Mogadishu in November 1987.^[44]

Structure

Somali Army

In March 2013 there were six trained brigades around Mogadishu, two of which were deployed at the time. Each brigade includes three to six battalions of around 1000 soldiers apiece, or 18,000 to 36,000 troops in total. Of these, an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 soldiers are currently in service.^[45]

In February 2014, the Federal Government concluded a six-month training course for the first Commandos, Danab ("Lightning"), since 1991.^[46] Training had been jointly carried out by Somali military experts and U.S. government personnel. The Army Chief of Staff Brigadier General Dahir Adan Elmi said that the new Commandos hail from different parts of the county. The Commandos will be headquartered at the former Balli Dogle air base (Walaweyn District, Lower Shebelle).^[46] The training of the first Danab unit had begun in October 2013, and included 150 soldiers. As of July 2014, training of the second unit was underway. According to General Elmi, the special training is geared toward both urban and rural environments, and is aimed at preparing the soldiers for guerrilla warfare and all other types of modern military operations. Elmi said that a total of 570 Commandos are expected to have completed training by U.S. security personnel by the end of 2014.^[47]

Somali Air Force

The Somali Air Force (SAF) was originally named the Somali Air Corps (SAC), and was established with Italian aid in the early 1960s. It emerged from the Italian "Corpo di Sicurezza della Somalia" that existed between 1950 and 1960, during the trusteeship period just prior to independence. The SAF's original equipment included eight North American F-51D Mustangs, Douglas C-47s and MiG 23s, which remained in service until 1968. The air force operated most of its aircraft from bases near Mogadishu, Hargeisa and Galkayo. An air defence force equipped with Soviet surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft guns was in existence by 1992.^[48]

By January 1991 the air force was in ruins.^[8] In 2012, Italy offered to help rebuild the air force.^[49] In October 2014, Somali Air Force cadets underwent additional training in Turkey.^[50]

On July 1 2015, the Somali Defence Minister Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini reopened the headquarter of the Somali Air Force. Located in Afisone, Mogadishu the move would facilitate the re-establishment of the air force after 25 years of civil war.^[51]

According to CQ Press' Worldwide Government Directory with Intergovernmental Organizations, Somalia's reconstituted air force as of 2013 is led by Maj. Gen. Nur Ilmi Adawe.^[1]

Somali Navy

The Somali Navy was formed after independence in 1960. Prior to 1991, it participated in several joint exercises with the United States, Great Britain and Canada. It disintegrated during the beginning of the civil war in Somalia, from the late 1980s.^[10] In the 2000s (decade), the central government began the process of re-establishing the Somali Navy.^[52]

On 30 June 2012, the United Arab Emirates announced a contribution of $1 million toward enhancing Somalia's naval security. Boats, equipment and communication gear necessary for the rebuilding of the coast guard would be bought. A central operations naval command was also planned to be set up in Mogadishu.^[53]

Agreements

Somalia has signed military cooperation agreements with Turkey in May 2010,^[54] February 2014,^[55] and January 2015.^[56]

In February 2012, Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali and Italian Defence Minister Gianpaolo Di Paola agreed that Italy would assist the Somali military as part of the National Security and Stabilization Plan (NSSP),^[49] an initiative designed to strengthen and professionalize the national security forces.^[57] The agreement would include training soldiers and rebuilding the Somali army.^[49] In November 2014, the Federal Parliament approved a new defense and cooperation treaty with Italy, which the Ministry of Defence had signed earlier in the year. The agreement includes training and equipping of the army by Italy.^[58]

In November 2014, Somalia signed a military cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates.^[59]

Army equipment

Army equipment, 1981

The following were the Somali National Army's major weapons in 1981:^[5]

Type	Description	Country of Manufacture	Inventory
Tanks
Centurion	Main battle tank; 105mm gun	United Kingdom	40
T-34	Medium tank; 85mm gun	Soviet Union	60
T-54/55	Main battle tank; 100mm quick firing gun; most transferred 1974–1976	Soviet Union	40
Armoured personnel carriers
BTR-40	9-passenger wheeled APC	Soviet Union	50
BTR-50	12-passenger tracked APC	Soviet Union
BTR-60	10-12-passenger wheeled APC	Soviet Union
BTR-152	12-passenger wheeled APC	Soviet Union	150
Fiat 6614	10-passenger wheeled APC	Italy	200
Fiat 6616	Armored car; 20mm gun	Italy	200
Artillery
130mm	Field gun, towed	Soviet Union	80
122mm	Field gun, towed	Soviet Union
122mm	Howitzer, towed	Soviet Union
100mm	Anti-tank gun/field gun, towed	Soviet Union	150
85mm	Anti-tank gun, towed	Soviet Union
76mm	Divisional gun, towed	Soviet Union
120mm	Heavy mortar	Soviet Union	n/a
82mm	Medium mortar	Soviet Union	n/a
106mm	B-11 recoilless rifle	China	n/a
Anti-aircraft guns
100 mm air defense gun KS-19	Towed	Soviet Union	250
57 mm AZP S-60	Towed	Soviet Union
37mm M1939	Towed	Soviet Union
23mm	ZU-23-2-type, towed	Soviet Union
Missiles
MILAN	Surface-to-surface, man-portable, anti-tank guided weapon	France/West Germany	100

Army equipment, 1989

Previous arms acquisitions included the following equipment, much of which was unserviceable ca. June 1989:^[60] 293 main battle tanks (30 Centurion from Kuwait^[61] 123 M47 Patton, 30 T-34, 110 T-54/55 from various sources). Other armoured fighting vehicles included 10 M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks, 30 BRDM-2 and 15 Panhard AML-90 armored cars (formerly owned by Saudi Arabia). The IISS estimated in 1989 that there were 474 armoured personnel carriers, including 64 BTR-40/BTR-50/BTR-60, 100 BTR-152 wheeled armored personnel carriers, 310 Fiat 6614 and 6616s, and that BMR-600s had been reported. The IISS estimated that there were 210 towed artillery pieces (8 M-1944 100mm, 100 M-56 105mm, 84 M-1938 122mm, and 18 M198 155 mm towed howitzers). Other equipment reported by the IISS included 82mm and 120mm mortars, 100 Milan and BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missiles, rocket launchers, recoilless rifles, and a variety of Soviet air defence guns of 20mm, 23mm, 37mm, 40mm, 57mm, and 100mm calibre. As of 1 June 1989, the IISS also estimated that Somali army surface-to-air defense equipment included 40 SA-2 Guideline missiles (operational status uncertain), 10 SA-3 Goa, and 20 SA-7 surface-to-air missiles.^[60]

Army equipment, 2012-2015

In May 2012, over thirty-three vehicles were donated by the U.S. government to the SNA. The vehicles include 16 Magirus Trucks, 4 Hilux Pickups, 6 Land Cruiser Pickups, 1 Water Tanker, and 6 Water Trailers.^[62] On 9 April 2013, the U.S. government approved the provision of defense articles and services by the American authorities to the Somali Federal Government.^[63] It handed over 15 vehicles to the new Commandos in March 2014.^[64]

In April 2013, Djibouti presented the SNA with 15 armoured military vehicles. The equipment was part of a larger consignment of 25 military trucks and 25 armoured military vehicles.^[65]

The same month, the Italian government handed over 54 armored and personnel carrier vehicles to the army at a ceremony in Mogadishu.^[66]

As of April 2015, the Ministry of Defence's Guulwade Plan identifies the equipment and weaponry requirements of the army.^[67]

Leadership

Minister of Defence

Name	Tenure	Affiliation
Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini	27 January 2015 – Present	Federal Government of Somalia (FGS)
Mohamed Sheikh Hassan	17 January 2014 – 27 January 2015	Federal Government of Somalia (FGS)
Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi	4 November 2012 – 17 January 2014	Federal Government of Somalia (FGS)
Hussein Arab Isse	20 July 2011 – 4 November 2012	Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi	12 November 2010 – 20 July 2011	Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
Mohamed Abdi Mohamed	21 February 2009 – 12 November 2010	Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
Aden Abdullahi Nur	1986 – 1988	Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP)
Muhammad Ali Samatar	1980 – 1986	Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP)

Chief of Army

Name	Took command	Left command
Maj. Gen Ismail Qasim Naji	14 April 2005^[68]	10 February 2007^[69]
Maj. Gen Abdullahi Ali Omar	10 February 2007^[69]	21 July 2007^[70]
Brig. Gen Salah Hassan Jama	21 July 2007^[70]	11 June 2008^[71]
Maj. Gen Said Dheere Mohamed	11 June 2008^[71]	15 May 2009^[72]
Maj. Gen Yusuf Osman Dhumal	15 May 2009^[72]	10 December 2009^[73]
Brig. Gen Mohamed Gelle Kahiye	6 December 2009^[73]	18 September 2010^[74]
Brig. Gen Ahmed Jimale Gedi	18 September 2010	28 March 2011
Maj. Gen Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini	28 March 2011^[75]	13 March 2013^[76]
Brig. Gen Dahir Adan Elmi	13 March 2013^[76]	3 September 2015 (S/2015/801, p. 24)
Maj. Gen Mahamed Aadan Ahmed	-- - 2015^[76]	continue (S/2015/802, p. 24)

Military ranks

In July 2014, General Dahir Adan Elmi announced the completion of a review of the Somali National Army ranks. The SNA in conjunction with the Ministry of Defense is also slated to standardize the martial ranking system and eliminate any unauthorized promotions as part of a broader reform.^[77]

As of 1977, Somalia's army ranks were as follows:^[5]

The Somali Armed Forces' military ranks, 1982.

Level	Rank	Commission	Notables
1	Lieutenant General	Officer	Muhammad Ali Samatar
2	Major General	Officer	Daud Abdulle Hirsi, Siad Barre, Xuseen Kulmiye Afrax, Abdullah Mohamed Fadil, Cabdulle Barre Qalaaye, Mohamud Muse Hersi, Nuur Darawish, Salaad Gabeyre Kediye, Axmed Maxamuud Cadde (Qoorweyne), Maxamed Sheekh Cismaan, Abuukar Gacal, Abubakar Sulaleey
3	Brigadier General	Officer	Ali Matan Hashi, Abdullahi Ahmed Irro, Mohamed Farah Aidid, Muse Hassan Sheikh Sayid Abdulle, Dahir Adan Elmi, Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini, Axmed Sahal Ali (Axmed Cariiri), Abuukar Aftooje, Cismaan Badmaceeye, Isaaq Iidow Raagge, Maxamed Cismaan Faarax (Gaarac)
4	Colonel	Officer	Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Mohamed Osman Irro, Jibrell Ali Salad
5	Lieutenant colonel	Officer	Salaad Gabeyre Kediye
6	Major	Officer
7	Captain	Officer
8	First Lieutenant	Officer
9	Second Lieutenant	Officer
10	Chief Warrant Officer	NCO
11	Warrant Officer III	NCO
12	Warrant Officer II	NCO
13	Warrant Officer I	NCO
14	Sergeant	NCO
15	Corporal	NCO
16	Private First Class	NCO

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Martino, John (2013). Worldwide Government Directory with Intergovernmental Organizations 2013. CQ Press. p. 1462. ISBN 1452299374.
^ Cite error: The named reference Fsijmris was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "The Federal Republic of Somalia – Provisional Constitution" (PDF). Retrieved 13 March 2013.
^ "The Federal Republic of Somalia – Provisional Constitution". Retrieved 13 March 2013. Chapter 14, Article 126(3).
^ ^a ^b ^c "Somalia: A Country Study – Chapter 5: National Security" (PDF). Library of Congress. c. 1981. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ See discussion in Abdullah A. Mohamoud, State collapse and post-conflict development in Africa : the case of Somalia (1960–2001). West Lafayette, Ind. : Purdue University Press, c2006
^ Daniel Compagnon, 'Political decay in Somalia: From Personal Rule to Warlordism,' Refuge, Vol 12, No. 5, November–December 1992, 9.
^ ^a ^b Nina J. Fitzgerald, Somalia: issues, history, and bibliography, (Nova Publishers: 2002), p.19.
^ "SOMALIA PM Said "Cabinet will work tirelessly for the people of Somalia"". Midnimo. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Library of Congress Country Study, Somalia, The Warrior Tradition and Development of a Modern Army, research complete May 1992.
^ Saheed A. Adejumobi, The History of Ethiopia, (Greenwood Press: 2006), p.178
^ Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc, Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 1, (Encyclopaedia Britannica: 2005), p.163
^ David D. Laitin and Said S. Samatar, Somalia: Nation in Search of a State (Boulder: Westview Press, 1987).
^ Cambridge illustrated atlas, warfare: Renaissance to revolution, 1492–1792 By Jeremy Black pg 9
^ W. Mitchell. Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, Whitehall Yard, Volume 57, Issue 2. p. 997.
^ William James Makin. War Over Ethiopia. p. 227.
^ "Puntland Forces mark 50th anniversary of Somali Armed". Garowe Online. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
^ Encyclopaedia Britannica, The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, (Encyclopaedia Britannica: 2002), p. 835
^ "The dawn of the Somali nation-state in 1960". Buluugleey.com. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
^ A transcript of a Reuters report of June 26, 1960 says that, during the independence ceremony for Somaliland “..Nearly 1,000 British-trained Somaliland Scouts were then handed over to the Prime Minister by Brigadier O. G. Brooks, the Colonel Commandant.” http://www.slnnews.com/2015/06/somaliland-independence-26th-june-1960-the-world-press/
^ Library of Congress Country Study, Somalia, Manpower, Training, and Conditions of Service (Thomas Ofcansky), research complete May 1992.
^ Africa Watch Committee, Kenya: Taking Liberties, (Yale University Press: 1991), p.269
^ Women's Rights Project, The Human Rights Watch Global Report on Women's Human Rights, (Yale University Press: 1995), p.121
^ Francis Vallat, First report on succession of states in respect of treaties: International Law Commission twenty-sixth session 6 May-26 July 1974, (United Nations: 1974), p.20
^ ^a ^b "The Somali Dispute: Kenya Beware" by Maj. Tom Wanambisi for the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, April 6, 1984 (hosted by globalsecurity.org)
^ Hogg, Richard (1986). "The New Pastoralism: Poverty and Dependency in Northern Kenya". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. 56 (3): 319–333. JSTOR 1160687.
^ Howell, John (May 1968). "An Analysis of Kenyan Foreign Policy". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 6 (1): 29–48. doi:10.1017/S0022278X00016657. JSTOR 158675.
^ ^a ^b ^c Colin Legum, John Drysdale, Africa contemporary record: annual survey and documents, Volume 2, (Africa Research Limited., 1970), p.B-174.
^ ^a ^b Moshe Y. Sachs, Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Volume 2, (Worldmark Press: 1988), p.290.
^ Adam, Hussein Mohamed; Richard Ford (1997). Mending rips in the sky: options for Somali communities in the 21st century. Red Sea Press. p. 226. ISBN 1-56902-073-6.
^ J. D. Fage, Roland Anthony Oliver, The Cambridge history of Africa, Volume 8, (Cambridge University Press: 1985), p.478.
^ The Encyclopedia Americana: complete in thirty volumes. Skin to Sumac, Volume 25, (Grolier: 1995), p.214.
^ Metz, Helen C. (ed.) (1992), "Coup d'Etat", Somalia: A Country Study, Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, retrieved 21 October 2009 {{citation}}: |first= has generic name (help)
^ Peter John de la Fosse Wiles, The New Communist Third World: an essay in political economy, (Taylor & Francis: 1982), p.279.
^ Oliver Ramsbotham, Tom Woodhouse, Encyclopedia of international peacekeeping operations, (ABC-CLIO: 1999), p.222.
^ ^a ^b Gebru Tareke, "Ethiopia-Somalia War," p. 644
^ Soviet intervention and the Ogaden counter-offensive of 1978 by Mark Urban pg 42
^ "Ethiopia: East Germany". Library of Congress. 8 November 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2007.
^ Gebru Tareke, "Ethiopia-Somalia War," p. 645.
^ Gebru Tareke, "Ethiopia-Somalia War", p. 646
^ Rene LaFort, Ethiopia: An Heretical Revolution?, translated by A.M. Berrett (London: Zed Press, 1983), p. 260
^ IISS Military Balance 1976–77, p.44
^ Defense Intelligence Agency, 'Military Intelligence Summary, Vol IV, Part III, Africa South of the Sahara', November 1987, 12
^ Walter S. Clarke, Background Information for Operation Restore Hope, Strategic Studies Institute, p. 27.
^ Kwayera, Juma (9 March 2013). "Hope alive in Somalia as UN partially lifts arms embargo". Standard Digital. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
^ ^a ^b Mohyaddin, Shafi’i (8 February 2014). "Somalia trains its first commandos after the collapse of the central government". Hiiraan Online. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
^ Dan Joseph, Harun Maruf (31 July 2014). "US-Trained Somali Commandos Fight Al-Shabab". VOA. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
^ Somalia, A Country Study, 1992/3, 205.
^ ^a ^b ^c "PM meets Italian Defence minister, IFAD director and addressed Rome 3 students". Laanta. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
^ "Somali air force cadets in Turkey". Somalia Newsroom. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
^ "Somalia Reopens Air Force Headquarter". Goobjoog News. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
^ "Somalia to Make Task Marine Forces to Secure Its Coast". Shabelle Media Network. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
^ "UAE committed to contribute US$1 million to support Somali naval security capabilities, says Gargash". UAE Interact. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
^ "Turkey-Somalia military agreement approved". Today's Zaman. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
^ "SOMALIA: Ministry of Defense signs an agreement of military support with Turkish Defense ministry". Raxanreeb. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
^ "Press Release: Erdogan's Somalia Visit". Goobjoog. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
^ "Press Release: AMISOM offers IHL training to senior officials of the Somali National Forces". AMISOM. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
^ "SOMALIA: Parliament approves Somalia's military treaty with Italy". Raxanreeb. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
^ "UAE, Somalia sign military cooperation agreement". Kuwait News Agency. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
^ ^a ^b IISS Military Balance 1989–90, Brassey's for the IISS, 1989, 113.
^ "Arms Trade Register". SIPRI. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
^ "PRESS RELEASE: AMISOM hands over military vehicles to the Somali National Army". AMISOM. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
^ "U.S. eases arms restrictions for Somalia". UPI. 9 April 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
^ "SOMALIA: U.S donates military vehicles to newly trained Somali Commandos". Raxanreeb. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
^ "Djibouti donates armoured vehicles to Somalia". Sabahi. 5 April 2013. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Italy Hands over Military Consignment to Somali Government". Goobjoog. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
^ Cite error: The named reference Urotsgosmtf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Somali cabinet fills key posts". Al-Jazeera. 14 April 2005. Retrieved 17 January 2007.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference Ssacsanaaa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b "Peaceful day for Somalia reconciliation conference" garoweonline.com
^ ^a ^b "Somalia's Interim President Appoints New Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces" hiiraan.com
^ ^a ^b "Somali president names new military chief amid insurgent push" topnews.in
^ ^a ^b "Somalia fires heads of police force and military" reuters.com
^ "Somali president fires top commanders" hiiraan.com
^ "Salad Gabeyre Kediye Was a Brigadier General In The Somali Military And A Revolutionary". Banaadir Weyne. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Somalia changes its top military commanders". Shabelle Media Network. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
^ "Somalia: Military Chief warns counterfeit military ranks". Raxanreeb. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.

References

Defense Intelligence Agency, 'Military Intelligence Summary, Vol IV, Part III, Africa South of the Sahara', November 1987
International Crisis Group, Somalia: The Transitional Government on Life Support, Africa Report 170, 20 February 2011.
Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Abuses by Transitional Federal Government Forces in 'So Much to Fear: War Crimes and Devastation in Somalia', December 2008
Library of Congress Somalia Country Study 1992
Abdullah A. Mohamoud, State collapse and post-conflict development in Africa : the case of Somalia (1960–2001). West Lafayette, Ind. : Purdue University Press, c2006 (DT407 M697 S).
Williams, Paul D. "Into the Mogadishu maelstrom: the African Union mission in Somalia." International Peacekeeping 16.4 (2009): 514–530.

External links

Anderson, Jon Lee (14 December 2009). "The Most Failed State". The New Yorker. Retrieved 18 May 2015. - includes notes on state of Somali Navy
Air Combat Information Group, Somalia, 1980–1996
"Weapons at War", a World Policy Institute Issue Brief by William D. Hartung, , May 1995, chapter III: Strengthening Potential Adversaries (12th paragraph), Somalia.

This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook. CIA.

Template:Somalia

[Wgdwiot-1] Martino, John (2013). Worldwide Government Directory with Intergovernmental Organizations 2013. CQ Press. p. 1462. ISBN 1452299374.

[Fsijmris-2] Cite error: The named reference Fsijmris was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Frspc2-3] "The Federal Republic of Somalia – Provisional Constitution" (PDF). Retrieved 13 March 2013.

[Frspc-4] "The Federal Republic of Somalia – Provisional Constitution". Retrieved 13 March 2013. Chapter 14, Article 126(3).

[Sarmrnks-5] "Somalia: A Country Study – Chapter 5: National Security" (PDF). Library of Congress. c. 1981. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[6] See discussion in Abdullah A. Mohamoud, State collapse and post-conflict development in Africa : the case of Somalia (1960–2001). West Lafayette, Ind. : Purdue University Press, c2006

[Compagnon9-7] Daniel Compagnon, 'Political decay in Somalia: From Personal Rule to Warlordism,' Refuge, Vol 12, No. 5, November–December 1992, 9.

[Fitzgerald19-8] Nina J. Fitzgerald, Somalia: issues, history, and bibliography, (Nova Publishers: 2002), p.19.

[Spscwwtftpos-9] "SOMALIA PM Said "Cabinet will work tirelessly for the people of Somalia"". Midnimo. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.

[Twtadoama-10] Library of Congress Country Study, Somalia, The Warrior Tradition and Development of a Modern Army, research complete May 1992.

[11] Saheed A. Adejumobi, The History of Ethiopia, (Greenwood Press: 2006), p.178

[12] Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc, Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume 1, (Encyclopaedia Britannica: 2005), p.163

[13] David D. Laitin and Said S. Samatar, Somalia: Nation in Search of a State (Boulder: Westview Press, 1987).

[14] Cambridge illustrated atlas, warfare: Renaissance to revolution, 1492–1792 By Jeremy Black pg 9

[dsfsdgfdsf-15] W. Mitchell. Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, Whitehall Yard, Volume 57, Issue 2. p. 997.

[FCC-16] William James Makin. War Over Ethiopia. p. 227.

[Gpfmfaosa-17] "Puntland Forces mark 50th anniversary of Somali Armed". Garowe Online. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2013.

[18] Encyclopaedia Britannica, The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, (Encyclopaedia Britannica: 2002), p. 835

[buluugleey.com-19] "The dawn of the Somali nation-state in 1960". Buluugleey.com. Retrieved 25 February 2009.

[20] A transcript of a Reuters report of June 26, 1960 says that, during the independence ceremony for Somaliland “..Nearly 1,000 British-trained Somaliland Scouts were then handed over to the Prime Minister by Brigadier O. G. Brooks, the Colonel Commandant.” http://www.slnnews.com/2015/06/somaliland-independence-26th-june-1960-the-world-press/

[LOCSomMTCS-21] Library of Congress Country Study, Somalia, Manpower, Training, and Conditions of Service (Thomas Ofcansky), research complete May 1992.

[AWC-22] Africa Watch Committee, Kenya: Taking Liberties, (Yale University Press: 1991), p.269

[WRP-23] Women's Rights Project, The Human Rights Watch Global Report on Women's Human Rights, (Yale University Press: 1995), p.121

[Vallat-24] Francis Vallat, First report on succession of states in respect of treaties: International Law Commission twenty-sixth session 6 May-26 July 1974, (United Nations: 1974), p.20

[Wanambisi-25] "The Somali Dispute: Kenya Beware" by Maj. Tom Wanambisi for the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, April 6, 1984 (hosted by globalsecurity.org)

[Hogg1986-26] Hogg, Richard (1986). "The New Pastoralism: Poverty and Dependency in Northern Kenya". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. 56 (3): 319–333. JSTOR 1160687.

[Howell1968-27] Howell, John (May 1968). "An Analysis of Kenyan Foreign Policy". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 6 (1): 29–48. doi:10.1017/S0022278X00016657. JSTOR 158675.

[LegumDrysdale-28] Colin Legum, John Drysdale, Africa contemporary record: annual survey and documents, Volume 2, (Africa Research Limited., 1970), p.B-174.

[Myswenvwp-29] Moshe Y. Sachs, Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Volume 2, (Worldmark Press: 1988), p.290.

[Adam-30] Adam, Hussein Mohamed; Richard Ford (1997). Mending rips in the sky: options for Somali communities in the 21st century. Red Sea Press. p. 226. ISBN 1-56902-073-6.

[31] J. D. Fage, Roland Anthony Oliver, The Cambridge history of Africa, Volume 8, (Cambridge University Press: 1985), p.478.

[Grolierenc-32] The Encyclopedia Americana: complete in thirty volumes. Skin to Sumac, Volume 25, (Grolier: 1995), p.214.

[Metz3-33] Metz, Helen C. (ed.) (1992), "Coup d'Etat", Somalia: A Country Study, Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, retrieved 21 October 2009 {{citation}}: |first= has generic name (help)

[Pjdlfw-34] Peter John de la Fosse Wiles, The New Communist Third World: an essay in political economy, (Taylor & Francis: 1982), p.279.

[Ramsbotham-35] Oliver Ramsbotham, Tom Woodhouse, Encyclopedia of international peacekeeping operations, (ABC-CLIO: 1999), p.222.

[EthSom644-36] Gebru Tareke, "Ethiopia-Somalia War," p. 644

[37] Soviet intervention and the Ogaden counter-offensive of 1978 by Mark Urban pg 42

[East-Germany-Ethiopia-38] "Ethiopia: East Germany". Library of Congress. 8 November 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2007.

[EthSom645-39] Gebru Tareke, "Ethiopia-Somalia War," p. 645.

[40] Gebru Tareke, "Ethiopia-Somalia War", p. 646

[41] Rene LaFort, Ethiopia: An Heretical Revolution?, translated by A.M. Berrett (London: Zed Press, 1983), p. 260

[42] IISS Military Balance 1976–77, p.44

[43] Defense Intelligence Agency, 'Military Intelligence Summary, Vol IV, Part III, Africa South of the Sahara', November 1987, 12

[44] Walter S. Clarke, Background Information for Operation Restore Hope, Strategic Studies Institute, p. 27.

[Haisaunplae-45] Kwayera, Juma (9 March 2013). "Hope alive in Somalia as UN partially lifts arms embargo". Standard Digital. Retrieved 14 March 2013.

[Stifcatcotcg-46] Mohyaddin, Shafi’i (8 February 2014). "Somalia trains its first commandos after the collapse of the central government". Hiiraan Online. Retrieved 12 February 2014.

[Utscfa-47] Dan Joseph, Harun Maruf (31 July 2014). "US-Trained Somali Commandos Fight Al-Shabab". VOA. Retrieved 1 August 2014.

[48] Somalia, A Country Study, 1992/3, 205.

[Lpmmitmidaarts-49] "PM meets Italian Defence minister, IFAD director and addressed Rome 3 students". Laanta. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.

[Safcit-50] "Somali air force cadets in Turkey". Somalia Newsroom. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2015.

[adask-51] "Somalia Reopens Air Force Headquarter". Goobjoog News. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.

[Smnstmtmftsic-52] "Somalia to Make Task Marine Forces to Secure Its Coast". Shabelle Media Network. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.

[Uctcuotssnscsg-53] "UAE committed to contribute US$1 million to support Somali naval security capabilities, says Gargash". UAE Interact. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2013.

[Tsmaa-54] "Turkey-Somalia military agreement approved". Today's Zaman. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2013.

[Rsmdsamswtdm-55] "SOMALIA: Ministry of Defense signs an agreement of military support with Turkish Defense ministry". Raxanreeb. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.

[Gpresv-56] "Press Release: Erdogan's Somalia Visit". Goobjoog. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.

[Aoittsootsnf-57] "Press Release: AMISOM offers IHL training to senior officials of the Somali National Forces". AMISOM. Retrieved 20 March 2013.

[Spasmtwi-58] "SOMALIA: Parliament approves Somalia's military treaty with Italy". Raxanreeb. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.

[Kussmca-59] "UAE, Somalia sign military cooperation agreement". Kuwait News Agency. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2015.

[IISS91Som-60] IISS Military Balance 1989–90, Brassey's for the IISS, 1989, 113.

[Arms_Trade_Register-61] "Arms Trade Register". SIPRI. Retrieved 24 June 2012.

[Prahomvttsna-62] "PRESS RELEASE: AMISOM hands over military vehicles to the Somali National Army". AMISOM. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2014.

[Usearfs-63] "U.S. eases arms restrictions for Somalia". UPI. 9 April 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.

[Rsudmvtntsc-64] "SOMALIA: U.S donates military vehicles to newly trained Somali Commandos". Raxanreeb. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.

[Sddavts-65] "Djibouti donates armoured vehicles to Somalia". Sabahi. 5 April 2013. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[Gihomctsg-66] "Italy Hands over Military Consignment to Somali Government". Goobjoog. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.

[Urotsgosmtf-67] Cite error: The named reference Urotsgosmtf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[68] "Somali cabinet fills key posts". Al-Jazeera. 14 April 2005. Retrieved 17 January 2007.

[Ssacsanaaa-69] Cite error: The named reference Ssacsanaaa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Gpdfsrc-70] "Peaceful day for Somalia reconciliation conference" garoweonline.com

[Hsipancosftaf-71] "Somalia's Interim President Appoints New Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces" hiiraan.com

[Tspnnmcaip-72] "Somali president names new military chief amid insurgent push" topnews.in

[Rsfhopfam-73] "Somalia fires heads of police force and military" reuters.com

[74] "Somali president fires top commanders" hiiraan.com

[75] "Salad Gabeyre Kediye Was a Brigadier General In The Somali Military And A Revolutionary". Banaadir Weyne. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2013.

[Sscitmc-76] "Somalia changes its top military commanders". Shabelle Media Network. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.

[Rsmcwcmr-77] "Somalia: Military Chief warns counterfeit military ranks". Raxanreeb. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.

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@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 The '''Somali Armed Forces''' ('''SAF''') are the military forces of [[Somalia]], officially known as the ''Federal Republic of Somalia''.<ref name="Frspc2">{{cite web|title=The Federal Republic of Somalia – Provisional Constitution|url=http://www.somaliweyn.com/pages/news/Aug_12/Somalia_Constitution_English_FOR_WEB.pdf|accessdate=13 March 2013}}</ref> Headed by the [[President of Somalia|President]] as Commander in Chief, they are constitutionally mandated to ensure the nation's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.<ref name="Frspc">{{cite web|title=The Federal Republic of Somalia – Provisional Constitution|url=http://unpos.unmissions.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=RkJTOSpoMME= |accessdate=13 March 2013}} Chapter 14, Article 126(3).</ref>
-The SAF was initially made up of the [[Somali National Army|Army]], [[Somali Navy|Navy]], [[Somali Air Force|Air Force]] and [[Somali Police Force|Police Force]].<ref name="Sarmrnks">{{cite web|title=Somalia: A Country Study – Chapter 5: National Security |url=http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/Somalia%20Study_3.pdf |publisher=Library of Congress |year=c. 1981 |deadurl=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004045134/http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/Somalia%20Study_3.pdf |archivedate=4 October 2012 }}</ref> In the post-independence period, it grew to become among the [[List of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel|larger militaries]] in Africa.<ref>See discussion in Abdullah A. Mohamoud, State collapse and post-conflict development in Africa : the case of Somalia (1960–2001). West Lafayette, Ind. : [[Purdue University Press]], c2006</ref> Due to patrimonial and repressive state policies, the military had by 1988 begun to disintegrate.<ref name=Compagnon9>Daniel Compagnon, '[http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/refuge/article/download/21676/20349 Political decay in Somalia: From Personal Rule to Warlordism],' Refuge, Vol 12, No. 5, November–December 1992, 9.</ref> By the time dictator [[Siad Barre]] fled in 1991, the armed forces had dissolved.<ref name="Fitzgerald19">Nina J. Fitzgerald, ''Somalia: issues, history, and bibliography'', (Nova Publishers: 2002), p.19.</ref> As of January 2014, the security sector is overseen by the [[Federal Government of Somalia]]'s [[Ministry of Defence (Somalia)|Ministry of Defence]], Ministry of National Security, and Ministry of Interior and Federalism.<ref name="Spscwwtftpos">{{cite news|title=SOMALIA PM Said "Cabinet will work tirelessly for the people of Somalia"|url=http://www.midnimo.com/2014/01/17/somalia-pm-said-cabinet-will-work-tirelessly-people-somalia/|accessdate=17 January 2014|newspaper=Midnimo|date=17 January 2014}}</ref> The [[Military of Somaliland|Somaliland]], [[Military of Puntland|Puntland]] and [[Military of Khaatumo|Khaatumo]] regional governments maintain their own security and police forces.
+The SAF was initially made up of the [[Somali National Army|Army]], [[Somali Navy|Navy]], [[Somali Air Force|Air Force]] and [[Somali Police Force|Police Force]].<ref name="Sarmrnks">{{cite web|title=Somalia: A Country Study – Chapter 5: National Security |url=http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/Somalia%20Study_3.pdf |publisher=Library of Congress |year=c. 1981 |deadurl=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004045134/http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/Somalia%20Study_3.pdf |archivedate=4 October 2012 }}</ref> In the post-independence period, it grew to become among the [[List of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel|larger militaries]] in Africa.<ref>See discussion in Abdullah A. Mohamoud, State collapse and post-conflict development in Africa : the case of Somalia (1960–2001). West Lafayette, Ind. : [[Purdue University Press]], c2006</ref> Due to patrimonial and repressive state policies, the military had by 1988 begun to disintegrate.<ref name=Compagnon9>Daniel Compagnon, '[http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/refuge/article/download/21676/20349 Political decay in Somalia: From Personal Rule to Warlordism],' Refuge, Vol 12, No. 5, November–December 1992, 9.</ref> By the time dictator [[Siad Barre]] fled in 1991, the armed forces had dissolved.<ref name="Fitzgerald19">Nina J. Fitzgerald, ''Somalia: issues, history, and bibliography'', (Nova Publishers: 2002), p.19.</ref>
+As of January 2014, the security sector is overseen by the [[Federal Government of Somalia|Government of Somalia]]'s [[Ministry of Defence (Somalia)|Ministry of Defence]], Ministry of National Security.<ref name="Spscwwtftpos">{{cite news|title=SOMALIA PM Said "Cabinet will work tirelessly for the people of Somalia"|url=http://www.midnimo.com/2014/01/17/somalia-pm-said-cabinet-will-work-tirelessly-people-somalia/|accessdate=17 January 2014|newspaper=Midnimo|date=17 January 2014}}</ref> The [[Military of Somaliland|Somaliland]], and [[Military of Puntland|Puntland]] regional governments maintain their own security and police forces.
 ==History==
@@ Line 48: / Line 49: @@
 In 1914, the [[Somaliland Camel Corps]] was formed in the [[British Somaliland]] [[protectorate]] and saw service before, during, and after the Italian invasion of the territory during [[World War II]].<ref name="Twtadoama"/>
-===1960 to 1991===
+==Modern==
 [[File:General Kediye.jpg|thumb|280px|right|Lieutenant Colonel [[Salaad Gabeyre Kediye]], an early Somali military leader. Kediye was executed after a military power struggle in 1972.]]
 Just prior to independence in 1960, the [[Trust Territory of Somalia]] established a national army to defend the nascent Somali Republic's borders. A law to that effect was passed on 6 April 1960. Thus the [[Somali Police Force]]'s Mobile Group (Darawishta Poliska or Darawishta) was formed. 12 April 1960 has since been marked as ''Armed Forces Day''.<ref name="Gpfmfaosa">{{cite news|title=Puntland Forces mark 50th anniversary of Somali Armed|url=http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Puntland_Forces_mark_50th_anniversary_of_Somali_Armed_printer.shtml|accessdate=17 March 2013|newspaper=Garowe Online|date=12 April 2010}}</ref> British Somaliland became independent on 26 June 1960 as the [[State of Somaliland]], and the [[Trust Territory of Somalia]] (the former Italian Somaliland) followed suit five days later.<ref>Encyclopaedia Britannica, ''The New Encyclopaedia Britannica'', (Encyclopaedia Britannica: 2002), p. 835</ref> On 1 July 1960, the two territories united to form the Somali Republic.<ref name="buluugleey.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.buluugleey.com/warkiidanbe/Governance.htm |title=The dawn of the Somali nation-state in 1960 |publisher=Buluugleey.com |accessdate=2009-02-25}}</ref>
@@ Line 54: / Line 55: @@
 After independence, the Darawishta merged with the former British [[Somaliland Scouts]] to form the 5,000 strong Somali National Army.<ref>A transcript of a Reuters report of June 26, 1960 says that, during the independence ceremony for Somaliland “..Nearly 1,000 British-trained [[Somaliland Scouts]] were then handed over to the Prime Minister by Brigadier O. G. Brooks, the Colonel Commandant.” <nowiki>http://www.slnnews.com/2015/06/somaliland-independence-26th-june-1960-the-world-press/</nowiki></ref> The new military's first commander was Colonel [[Daud Abdulle Hirsi]], a former officer in the British military administration's police force, the Somalia Gendarmerie.<ref name="Twtadoama"/> Officers were trained in the [[United Kingdom]], [[Egypt]] and [[Italy]]. Despite the social and economic benefits associated with military service, the armed forces began to suffer chronic manpower shortages only a few years after independence.<ref name="LOCSomMTCS">Library of Congress Country Study, Somalia, [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+so0121) Manpower, Training, and Conditions of Service] (Thomas Ofcansky), research complete May 1992.</ref>
+===Somali-Ethiopian Border War (1964)===
-Merging British Somaliland Italian Somaliland caused political controversy. The distribution of power between the two regions and among the major clans in both areas was a bone of contention. In December 1961, a group of British-trained northern non-commissioned officers in Hargeisa revolted after southern officers took command of their units.<ref>Michael Walls and Steve Kibble, "Beyond Polarity: Negotiating a Hybrid State in Somaliland", Africa Spectrum, 2010.</ref> The rebellion was put down by other northern [[Noncommissioned officer]]s (NCOs), although dissatisfaction in the north lingered.<ref>Library of Congress Country Studies Somalia, [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query2/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+so0026) Problems of National Integration], Library of Congress, research completed May 1992.</ref>
+The [[Somali National Army]] (SNA) was battle-tested in 1964 when the conflict with [[Military of Ethiopia|Ethiopia]] over the Somali-inhabited [[Ogaden]] erupted into warfare. On 16 June 1963, Somali guerrillas started an insurgency at Hodayo, in eastern Ethiopia, a watering place north of [[Werder, Ethiopia|Werder]], after [[Ethiopia]]n [[Emperor]] [[Haile Selassie]] rejected their demand for self-government in the Ogaden. The Somali government initially refused to support the guerrilla forces, which eventually numbered about 3,000. However, in January 1964, after Ethiopia sent reinforcements to the Ogaden, Somali forces launched ground and air attacks across the border and started providing assistance to the guerrillas. The Ethiopian Air Force responded with punitive strikes across its southwestern frontier against Feerfeer, northeast of [[Beledweyne]] and [[Galkacyo]]. On 6 March 1964, [[Somalia]] and [[Ethiopia]] agreed to a cease-fire. At the end of the month, the two sides signed an accord in [[Khartoum]], [[Sudan]], agreeing to withdraw their troops from the border, cease hostile propaganda, and start peace negotiations.
+===Shifta War===
-The force was expanded and modernized after the rebellion with the assistance of [[Soviet]] and [[Cuba]]n advisors. The [[Library of Congress]] writes that '[i]n 1962 the Soviet Union agreed to grant a US$32 million loan to modernise the Somali army, and expand it to 14,000 personnel. Moscow later increased the amount to US$55 million. The Soviet Union, seeking to counter United States influence in the Horn of Africa, made an unconditional loan and fixed a generous twenty-year repayment schedule.'
+The [[Shifta War]] (1963–1967) was a [[secession]]ist conflict in which [[Somalis in Kenya|ethnic Somalis]] in the [[North Eastern Province (Kenya)|Northern Frontier District]] (NFD) of [[Kenya]] (a region that is and has historically been almost exclusively inhabited by ethnic Somalis<ref name="AWC">Africa Watch Committee, ''Kenya: Taking Liberties'', (Yale University Press: 1991), p.269</ref><ref name="WRP">Women's Rights Project, ''The Human Rights Watch Global Report on Women's Human Rights'', (Yale University Press: 1995), p.121</ref><ref name="Vallat">Francis Vallat, ''First report on succession of states in respect of treaties: International Law Commission twenty-sixth session 6 May-26 July 1974'', (United Nations: 1974), p.20</ref>) attempted to join with their fellow Somalis in a [[Greater Somalia]]. The Kenyan government named the conflict "[[shifta]]", after the [[Somali language|Somali]] word for "bandit", as part of a [[propaganda]] effort.
-[[File:Somalia Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Somalia's [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier]].]]
-The army was tested in 1964 when the conflict with [[Military of Ethiopia|Ethiopia]] over the Somali-inhabited [[Ogaden]] erupted into warfare. On 16 June 1963, Somali guerrillas started an insurgency at Hodayo, in eastern Ethiopia, a watering place north of [[Werder, Ethiopia|Werder]], after Ethiopian [[Emperor]] [[Haile Selassie]] rejected their demand for self-government in the Ogaden. The Somali government initially refused to support the guerrilla forces, which eventually numbered about 3,000. However, in January 1964, after Ethiopia sent reinforcements to the Ogaden, Somali forces launched ground and air attacks across the border and started providing assistance to the guerrillas. The [[Ethiopian Air Force]] responded with punitive strikes across its southwestern frontier against Feerfeer, northeast of [[Beledweyne]] and [[Galkayo]]. On 6 March 1964, [[Somalia]] and [[Ethiopia]] agreed to a cease-fire. At the end of the month, the two sides signed an accord in [[Khartoum]], [[Sudan]], agreeing to withdraw their troops from the border, cease hostile propaganda, and start peace negotiations. Somalia also terminated its support of the guerrillas.<ref name="Twtadoama"/>
+The province thus entered a period of running skirmishes between the [[Military of Kenya|Kenyan Army]] and the [[Northern Frontier District|Northern Frontier District Liberation Movement]] (NFDLM) insurgents backed by the [[Somali Republic]].  One immediate consequence was the signing in 1964 of a Mutual Defense Treaty between [[Jomo Kenyatta]]'s administration and the government of Ethiopian Emperor [[Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia|Haile Selassie]].<ref name=Wanambisi>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1984/WTL.htm "The Somali Dispute: Kenya Beware"] by Maj. Tom Wanambisi for the [[Marine Corps Command and Staff College]], April 6, 1984 (hosted by globalsecurity.org)</ref>
-During the power vacuum that followed the assassination of Somalia's second president, [[Abdirashid Ali Shermarke]], the military staged a [[coup d'état]] on 21 October 1969 (the day after Shermarke's funeral) and took over office.<ref name=Metz3>{{citation|last= Metz|first = Helen C. (ed.)|chapter=Coup d'Etat|title=''Somalia: A Country Study''|year=1992|chapter-url= http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+so0031)|publisher= [[Library of Congress]]|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|accessdate=21 October 2009}}.</ref> [[Major General]] [[Mohamed Siad Barre]], who had succeeded Hersi as Chief of Army in 1965,<ref name="Twtadoama"/> was installed as President of the [[Supreme Revolutionary Council (Somalia)|Supreme Revolutionary Council]] (SRC), the new government of Somalia.<ref name=Metz3/> The country was renamed the [[Somali Democratic Republic]]. In 1971, he announced the regime's intention to phase out military rule.
+In 1967, [[Zambia]]n President [[Kenneth Kaunda]] mediated peace talks between Somali Prime Minister [[Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal]] and Kenyatta. These bore fruit in October 1967, when the governments of Kenya and Somalia signed a [[Memorandum of Understanding]] (the Arusha Memorandum) that resulted in an official ceasefire, though regional security did not prevail until 1969.<ref name="Hogg1986">{{cite journal | last1 = Hogg | first1 = Richard | year = 1986 | title = The New Pastoralism: Poverty and Dependency in Northern Kenya | jstor =  1160687 | journal = Africa: Journal of the International African Institute | volume = 56 | issue = 3 | pages = 319–333 }}</ref><ref name="Howell1968">{{cite journal | last1 = Howell | first1 = John |date=May 1968 | title = An Analysis of Kenyan Foreign Policy | jstor =  158675 | journal = The Journal of Modern African Studies | volume = 6 | issue = 1  | pages = 29–48 | doi=10.1017/S0022278X00016657}}</ref>  After a 1969 coup in Somalia, the new military leader [[Mohamed Siad Barre]], abolished this MoU as he claimed it was corrupt and unsatisfactory. The ''Manyatta'' strategy is seen as playing a key role in ending the insurgency, though the Somali government may have also decided that the potential benefits of a war simply was not worth the cost and risk. However, Somalia did not renounce its claim to [[Greater Somalia]].<ref name=Wanambisi/>
-In 1972, the National Security Court, headed by admiral Mohamed Gelle Yusuf, ordered the execution of Siad Barre's fellow coup instigators, Major General Mohamed Aynanshe Guleid (who had become the Vice President), Brigadier General [[Salaad Gabeyre Kediye]] and Lieutenant Colonel [[Abdulkadir Dheel]] Abdulle.<ref>Mohamed Haji (Ingiriis), http://www.hiiraan.com/op4/2010/dec/17095/somalia_from_finest_to_failed_state_part_iii.aspx. See also Abdirashid A. Ismail, Somali State Failure, Players, Incentives AND INSTITUTIONS, Helsinki.</ref>
+===1969 Coup d'état===
-The U.S. Army Area Handbook wrote in 1976:<ref>Kaplan et al, Area Handbook for Somalia, Second Edition, 1977, p.315</ref>
+[[File:General Kediye.jpg|thumb|280px|right|Lieutenant Colonel [[Salaad Gabeyre Kediye]], the "Father of the Revolution" that succeeded Somalia's civilian administration.]]
-<blockquote>In mid-1976 the military command structure was simple and direct. Major General Samantar was not only commander of the National Army - and therefore commander of the organizationally subordinated navy and air force- but also secretary of state for defence and a vice president of SRC and thus a member of the major decision-making body of the government. Holding the two highest.. posts, he stood alone in the command structure between the army and President Siad, the head of state. When in July 1976 the SRC relinquished its power to the newly appointed SSRP, Samantar retained the portfolio of the Ministry of Defense. The country's real power appeared to be in the SSRP's Politburo, of which Samantar became a vice president. Before the military coup, command channels ran directly from the commander of the National Army to army sector commanders who exercised authority over military forces.. in the field, and by 1986 combat units had been reorganized along Soviet lines. There is no indication that either the chain of command to lower echelons or the organisation of combat units has changed significantly since the coup.</blockquote>
+In 1968, Somalia's then President [[Abdirashid Ali Shermarke]] narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. A grenade exploded near the car that was transporting him back from the airport, but failed to kill him.<ref name="LegumDrysdale">Colin Legum, John Drysdale, Africa contemporary record: annual survey and documents, Volume 2, (Africa Research Limited., 1970), p.B-174.</ref>
+On October 15, 1969, while paying an official visit to the northern town of [[Las Anod]], Shermarke was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards.<ref name="LegumDrysdale"/><ref name="Myswenvwp">Moshe Y. Sachs, ''Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations'', Volume 2, (Worldmark Press: 1988), p.290.</ref> On duty outside the guest-house where the president was staying, the officer fired an [[automatic rifle]] at close range, instantly killing Shermarke. Observers suggested that the assassination was inspired by personal rather than political motives.<ref name="LegumDrysdale"/>
-In July 1976, the [[International Institute for Strategic Studies]] estimated the army consisted of 22,000 personnel, 6 tank battalions, 9 mechanised infantry battalions, 5 infantry battalions, 2 commando battalions, and 11 artillery battalions (5 anti-aircraft).<ref>IISS Military Balance 1976–77, p.44</ref> Two hundred T-34 and 50 T-54/55 main battle tanks had been estimated to have been delivered. The IISS emphasised that 'spares are short and not all equipment is serviceable.' The U.S. Army ''Area Handbook for Somalia'', 1977 edition, agreed that the army comprised six tank and nine mechanised infantry battalions, but listed no infantry battalions, the two commando battalions, and 10 total artillery (five field and five anti-aircraft) battalions. (Kaplan et al., DA Pam 550-86, Second Edition, 1977, p.&nbsp;315)
+Shermarke's assassination was quickly followed by a military [[coup d'état]] on October 21, 1969 (the day after his funeral), in which the [[Military of Somalia|Somali Army]] seized power without encountering armed opposition — essentially a bloodless takeover. The putsch was spearheaded by Major General [[Muhammad Siad Barre]], who at the time commanded the army.<ref name="Myswenvwp"/> Barre was installed as president of the [[Supreme Revolutionary Council (Somalia)|Supreme Revolutionary Council]] (SRC), the new government of Somalia. Alongside him, the SRC was led by Lieutenant Colonel [[Salaad Gabeyre Kediye]] and Chief of Police [[Jama Korshel]]. Kediye officially held the title of "Father of the Revolution," and Barre shortly afterwards became the head of the SRC.<ref name="Adam">{{cite book | last = Adam | first = Hussein Mohamed |author2=Richard Ford | title = Mending rips in the sky: options for Somali communities in the 21st century | publisher = Red Sea Press | year = 1997 | page = 226 | url = http://books.google.ca/books?id=0m9yAAAAMAAJ | isbn = 1-56902-073-6}}</ref> The SRC subsequently renamed the country the [[Somali Democratic Republic]],<ref>J. D. Fage, Roland Anthony Oliver, ''The Cambridge history of Africa'', Volume 8, (Cambridge University Press: 1985), p.478.</ref><ref name="Grolierenc">''The Encyclopedia Americana: complete in thirty volumes. Skin to Sumac'', Volume 25, (Grolier: 1995), p.214.</ref> arrested members of the former government, banned political parties,<ref name=Metz3>{{citation|last= Metz|first = Helen C. (ed.)|chapter=Coup d'Etat|title=''Somalia: A Country Study''|year=1992|chapter-url= http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+so0031)|publisher= [[Library of Congress]]|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|accessdate= October 21, 2009}}</ref> dissolved the parliament and the Supreme Court, and suspended the constitution.<ref name="Pjdlfw">Peter John de la Fosse Wiles, ''The New Communist Third World: an essay in political economy'', (Taylor & Francis: 1982), p.279.</ref>
-Three divisions (the 21st, 54th, and 60th)<ref>[[Abdullahi Yusuf Irro]] once commanded the 60th.</ref> were formed, and later took part in the [[Ogaden War]]. While the IISS did not list them in July 1976, there is evidence that they were formed as early as 1970 or earlier: [[Mohamud Muse Hersi]] has been listed by somaliaonline.com as commander of the 21st Division from 1970 to 1972,<ref>http://www.somaliaonline.com/community/showthread.php/41100-Profile-of-new-leaders.Garad-Abdiqani-voices-his-support-Rep-of.-SOOL-SANAG-amp-CAYN</ref> and [[Muse Hassan Sheikh Sayid Abdulle]] as commander 26th Division in 1970–71.
+In 2005, Cambridge historian Christopher Andrew published The World Was Going Our Way, a comprehensive account of KGB operations in Africa, Asia and Latin America co-authored with the late KGB Major Vasili Mitrokhin. Based on documents drawn from the Mitrokhin Archive, it alleges that Kediye had been a paid KGB agent codenamed "OPERATOR". Ironically, the KGB-trained National Security Service (NSS), the SRC's intelligence wing, had carried out Kediye's initial arrest.[1]
-[[File:Somali soldier 1983.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Somali people|Somali]] soldier poses for a photograph during the multinational joint service [[Exercise Bright Star]] '85.]]
-Under the leadership of General [[Abdullah Mohamed Fadil]], [[Abdullahi Ahmed Irro]] and other senior Somali military officials formulated a plan of attack for what was to become the [[Ogaden War]] in Ethiopia.<ref name="Ahmed">{{cite web|last=Ahmed III|first=Abdul|title=Brothers in Arms Part I|url=http://wardheernews.com/Articles_2011/Oct/29_Brothers_in_Army_abdul.pdf|publisher=WardheerNews|accessdate=28 February 2012}}</ref> This was part of a broader effort to unite all of the Somali-inhabited territories in the Horn region into a [[Greater Somalia]] (''Soomaaliweyn'').<ref name="Lewisofssn">{{cite journal|last=Lewis|first=I.M.|author2=The Royal African Society |title=The Ogaden and the Fragility of Somali Segmentary Nationalism|journal=African Affairs|date=October 1989|volume=88|issue=353|url=http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/723037?uid=3739936&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101349584461|accessdate=8 November 2012|doi=10.2307/723037}}</ref> At the start of the offensive, the SNA consisted of 35,000 soldiers,<ref name="EthSom638">Gebru Tareke, "The Ethiopia-Somalia War", p. 638.</ref> and was vastly outnumbered by the Ethiopian forces. Somali national army troops seized the Godey Front on 24 July 1977, after the [[60th Division (Somalia)|60th Division]] defeated the Ethiopian [[4th Infantry Division (Ethiopia)|4th Infantry Division]].<ref name="Urban">{{cite journal|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071848308523524|title=Soviet intervention and the Ogaden counter-offensive of 1978|author=Urban, Mark|journal=The RUSI Journal|year=1983|volume=128|issue=2|pages=42–46|doi=10.1080/03071848308523524}}</ref> Godey's capture allowed the Somali side to consolidate its hold on the Ogaden, concentrate its forces, and advance further to other regions of Ethiopia.<ref name="Tareke2">Gebru Tareke, [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3876045 "From Lash to Red Star: The Pitfalls of Counter-Insurgency in Ethiopia, 1980–82", ''Journal of Modern African Studies''], 40 (2002), p. 471</ref> The invasion reached an abrupt end with the Soviet Union's sudden shift of support to Ethiopia, followed by almost the entire [[Communism|communist]] world siding with the latter. The Soviets halted supplies to Barre's regime and instead increased the distribution of aid, weapons, and training to Ethiopia's newly communist [[Derg]] regime. General [[Vasily Ivanovich Petrov]] was assigned to restructure the [[Ethiopian Army]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Lockyer|first=Adam|title=Opposing Foreign Intervention’s Impact on the Course of Civil Wars: The Ethiopian-Ogaden Civil War, 1976–1980|url=http://info.newcastle.edu.au/Resources/Schools/Economics%20Politics%20and%20Tourism/APSA%202006/INTLREL/Lockyer,%20Adam.pdf|accessdate=28 December 2012}}</ref> The Soviets also brought in around 15,000 [[Cuba]]n troops to assist the Ethiopian military. By 1978, the Somali forces were pushed out of most of the Ogaden, although it would take nearly three more years for the Ethiopian Army to gain full control of Godey.<ref name="Tareke2"/>
+===Ogaden War===
-Following the 1977–78 Ogaden campaign, [[Abudwak]] became the base for the SNA's 21st Division.<ref>[http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Hornet/irin_51399a.html IRIN Special Report on Central Somalia], 13 May 1999.</ref>
+[[File:Somali troops.jpg|thumb|260px|The Somali–[[Soviet Union]] friendship and later partnership with the United States enabled Somalia to build the largest [[mechanised]] [[Military of Somalia|army]] on the continent.<ref name="Ramsbotham">Oliver Ramsbotham, Tom Woodhouse, ''Encyclopedia of international peacekeeping operations'', (ABC-CLIO: 1999), p.222.</ref>]]
+Somalia committed to invade the Ogaden at 0300 13 July 1977 ([[Ethiopian calendar|5 Hamle, 1969]]), according to Ethiopian documents (some other sources state 23 July).<ref name="EthSom644">Gebru Tareke, "Ethiopia-Somalia War," p. 644</ref> According to Ethiopian sources, the invaders numbered 70,000 troops, 40 fighter planes, 250 tanks, 350 [[armoured personnel carrier]]s, and 600 artillery.<ref name="EthSom644"/> By the end of the month 60% of the Ogaden had been taken by the SNA-WSLF force, including [[Gode]], which was captured by units commanded by Colonel [[Abdullahi Ahmed Irro]]. The attacking forces did suffer some early setbacks; Ethiopian defenders at [[Dire Dawa]] and [[Jijiga]] inflicted heavy casualties on assaulting forces.  The [[Ethiopian Air Force]] (EAF) also began to establish [[air superiority]] using its [[Northrop F-5]]s, despite being initially outnumbered by Somali [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21|MiG-21s]].  However, Somalia was easily overpowering Ethiopian military hardware and technology capability. [[Army]] [[General]] [[Vasily Ivanovich Petrov|Vasily Petrov]] of the [[Soviet Armed Forces]] had to report back to [[Moscow]] the "sorry state" of the [[Ethiopian army]]. The 3rd and 4th Ethiopian [[Infantry Division]]s that suffered the brunt of the Somali invasion had practically ceased to exist.<ref>Soviet intervention and the Ogaden counter-offensive of 1978 by Mark Urban pg 42</ref>
+The USSR, finding itself supplying both sides of a war, attempted to mediate a ceasefire.  When their efforts failed, the Soviets abandoned Somalia. All aid to Siad Barre's regime was halted, while arms shipments to Ethiopia were increased. Soviet military aid (second in magnitude only to the October 1973 gigantic resupplying of Syrian forces during the [[Yom Kippur War]]) and advisors flooded into the country along with around 15,000 [[Cuba]]n combat troops. Other communist countries offered assistance: the [[People's Democratic Republic of Yemen]] offered military assistance and [[North Korea]] helped train a "People's Militia"; [[East Germany]] likewise offered training, engineering and support troops.<ref name=East-Germany-Ethiopia>{{cite web
-The shift in support by the Soviet Union motivated the Barre regime to seek allies elsewhere. It eventually settled on Russia's [[Cold War]] arch-rival, the [[United States]], which had been courting the Somali government for some time. The U.S. eventually gave extensive military support. Following the disastrous [[Ogaden War]], Barre's government began arresting government and military officials under suspicion of participation in the abortive 1978 coup d'état.<ref name=Ahmed /><ref name="Ararep">''ARR: Arab report and record'', (Economic Features, ltd.: 1978), p.602.</ref> Most of the people who had allegedly helped plot the putsch were summarily executed.<ref name="Npmc">New People Media Centre, ''New people'', Issues 94–105, (New People Media Centre: Comboni Missionaries, 2005).</ref> However, several officials managed to escape abroad where they formed the [[Somali Salvation Democratic Front]] (SSDF), the first of various dissident groups dedicated to ousting Barre's regime by force.<ref name="Fitzgerald25">Nina J. Fitzgerald, ''Somalia: issues, history, and bibliography'', (Nova Publishers: 2002), p.25.</ref> Among these opposition movements were the [[Somali Patriotic Movement]] (SPM) and Somali Democratic Alliance (SDA), a [[Gadabuursi]] group which had been formed in the northwest to counter the [[Somali National Movement]] (SNM) [[Isaaq]] militia.<ref name="Ciisa-Salwe">{{cite book|last=Ciisa-Salwe|first=Cabdisalaam M.|title=The collapse of the Somali state: the impact of the colonial legacy|year=1996|publisher=HAAN Publishing|isbn=187420991X|page=104|url=http://www.google.com/books?id=GxMOAQAAMAAJ}}</ref>
+|title=Ethiopia: East Germany
-[[File:Siabar 003.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Major General [[Mohamed Siad Barre]], Chairman of the [[Supreme Revolutionary Council (Somalia)|Supreme Revolutionary Council]].]]
+|url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+et0179)
-In 1981 one of three corps headquarters for the ground forces was situated at Hargeisa in the northwestern Woqooyi Galbeed region. Others were believed to be garrisoned at Gaalkacyo in the north-central Mudug region and at Beled Weyne in the south-central Hiiraan region. The ground forces were tactically organized into seven divisions. Allocated among the divisions were three mechanized infantry brigades, ten anti-aircraft battalions, and thirteen artillery battalions.<ref name="Sarmrnks"/>
+|date=2005-11-08
+|accessdate=2007-02-24
+|publisher=[[Library of Congress]] }}</ref> As the scale of communist assistance became clear in November 1977, Somalia broke diplomatic relations with the USSR and expelled all Soviet citizens from the country.
+[[File:Somali map.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The estimated territory of [[Greater Somalia]].]]
+Not all communist states sided with Ethiopia. Because of the [[Sino-Soviet split|Sino-Soviet rivalry]], [[People's Republic of China|China]] supported Somalia diplomatically and with token military aid. [[Romania]] under [[Nicolae Ceauşescu]] had a habit of breaking with Soviet policies and maintained good diplomatic relations with Siad Barre.
+[[File:Somalian10ef5-1.jpg|thumb|right|Somali president [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed]], a decorated war hero that participated in the 1964 border conflict and later led the [[Military of Somalia|Somali National Army]]'s (SNA) southern front in the [[Ogaden War]].]]
+By 17 August, elements of the Somali army had reached the outskirts of the strategic city of [[Dire Dawa]]. Not only was the country's second largest military airbase located here, as well as Ethiopia's crossroads into the Ogaden, but Ethiopia's rail lifeline to the Red Sea ran through this city, and if the Somalis held Dire Dawa, Ethiopia would be unable to export its crops or bring in equipment needed to continue the fight. Gebre Tareke estimates the Somalis advanced with two motorized brigades, one tank battalion and one BM battery upon the city; against them were the Ethiopian Second Militia Division, the 201 Nebelbal battalion, 781 battalion of the 78th Brigade, the 4th Mechanized Company, and a tank platoon possessing two tanks.<ref name=EthSom645>Gebru Tareke, "Ethiopia-Somalia War," p. 645.</ref> The fighting was vicious as both sides knew what the stakes were, but  after two days, despite that the Somalis had gained possession of the airport at one point, the Ethiopians had repulsed the assault, forcing the Somalis to withdraw. Henceforth, Dire Dawa was never at risk of attack.<ref>Gebru Tareke, "Ethiopia-Somalia War", p. 646</ref>
+The greatest single victory of the SNA-WSLF was a second assault on Jijiga in mid-September (the [[Battle of Jijiga]]), in which the demoralized Ethiopian troops withdrew from the town. The local defenders were no match for the assaulting Somalis and the Ethiopian military was forced to withdraw past the strategic strongpoint of the [[Marda Pass]], halfway between Jijiga and [[Harar]]. By September Ethiopia was forced to admit that it controlled only about 10% of the Ogaden and that the Ethiopian defenders had been pushed back into the non-Somali areas of [[Harerge]], [[Bale province (Ethiopia)|Bale]], and [[Sidamo Province|Sidamo]]. However, the Somalis were unable to press their advantage because of the high attrition on its tank battalions, constant Ethiopian air attacks on their supply lines, and the onset of the rainy season which made the dirt roads unusable. During that time, the Ethiopian government managed to raise and train a giant militia force 100,000 strong and integrated it into the regular fighting force. Also, since the Ethiopian army was a client of U.S weapons, hasty acclimatization to the new [[Warsaw Pact]] bloc weaponry took place.
-In 1984, the government attempted to solve the manpower shortage problem by instituting obligatory military service.<ref name="LOCSomMTCS"/> Men of eighteen to forty years of age were to be conscripted for two years. Opposition to conscription and to the campaigns against guerrilla groups resulted in widespread evasion of military service. As a result, during the late 1980s the government normally met manpower requirements by impressing men into military service. This practice alienated an increasing number of Somalis, who wanted the government to negotiate a peaceful resolution of the conflicts that were slowly destroying Somali society.
+From October 1977 until January 1978, the SNA-WSLF forces attempted to capture Harar, where 40,000 Ethiopians had regrouped and re-armed with Soviet-supplied [[artillery]] and [[Armoured fighting vehicle|armor]]; backed by 1500 Soviet "advisors" and 11,000 Cuban soldiers, they engaged the attackers in vicious fighting. Though the Somali forces reached the city outskirts by November, they were too exhausted to take the city and eventually had to withdraw to await the Ethiopian counterattack.
-However, as the 1980s wore on, Siad Barre increasingly used clanism as a political resource.<ref>Compagnon, 1992, 9.</ref> Barre filled the key positions in the army and security forces with members of three [[Darood]] clans closely related to his own ''reer'': the [[Marehan]], Dulbahantes, and Ogaadeens.<ref>Compagnon, 1992, 9, see also 'Somalia: Military Politics,' [[Africa Confidential]], 27, No. 22, 26 October 1986, 1-2.</ref> Compagnon wrote in 1992: "Colonels and generals were part of the president's personal patronage network; they had to remain loyal to him and his relatives, whether they had command or were temporarily in the cabinet."<ref>Daniel Compagnon, 'Political decay in Somalia: From Personal Rule to Warlordism,' Refuge, Vol 12, No. 5, November–December 1992, 9, cited in Mohamoud, 2006, p.127</ref> As a result, by 1990 many Somalis looked upon the armed forces as Siad Barre's personal army. This perception eventually destroyed the military's reputation as a national institution. The critical posts of commander of the 2nd Tank Brigade and 2nd Artillery Brigade in Mogadishu were both held by Marehan officers, as were the posts of commander of the three reserve brigades in Hargeisa in the north.<ref>'Somalia: Military Politics,' [[Africa Confidential]], 27, No. 22, 26 October 1986, 1–2.</ref>
+The expected Ethiopian-Cuban attack occurred in early February; however, it was accompanied by a second attack that the Somalis did not expect. A column of Ethiopian and Cuban troops crossed northeast into the highlands between Jijiga and the border with Somalia, bypassing the SNA-WSLF force defending the Marda Pass. The attackers were thus able to assault from two directions in a "pincer" action, allowing the re-capture of Jijiga in only two days while killing 3,000 defenders. The Somali defense collapsed and every major Ethiopian town was recaptured in the following weeks. Recognizing that his position was untenable, Siad Barre ordered the SNA to retreat back into Somalia on 9 March 1978, although Rene LaFort claims that the Somalis, having foreseen the inevitable, had already withdrawn its heavy weapons.<ref>Rene LaFort, ''Ethiopia: An Heretical Revolution?'', translated by A.M. Berrett (London: Zed Press, 1983), p. 260</ref> The last significant Somali unit left Ethiopia on 15 March 1978, marking the end of the war.
-By 1987 the U.S. [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] estimated the army was 40,000 strong (with Ethiopian army strength estimated at the same time as 260,000).<ref>Defense Intelligence Agency, 'Military Intelligence Summary, Vol IV, Part III, Africa South of the Sahara', November 1987, 12</ref> The President, Mohamed Siad Barre, held the rank of Major General and acted as Minister of Defence. There were three vice-ministers of national defence. From the SNA headquarters in Mogadishu four sectors were directed: [[26th Sector]] at [[Hargeisa]], [[54th Sector]] at [[Garowe]], [[21st Sector]] at [[Dusa Mareb]], and [[60th Sector]] at [[Baidoa]]. Thirteen divisions, averaging 3,300 strong, were divided between the four sectors – four in the northernmost and three in each of the other sectors. The sectors were under the command of brigadiers (three) and a colonel (one). [[Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan]] has been reported as 26th Sector commander from 1986 to 1988. Walter S. Clarke seemed to say that Barre's son [Maslah Siad] was commanding the 77th Sector in Mogadishu in November 1987.<ref>Walter S. Clarke, ''Background Information for Operation Restore Hope,'' Strategic Studies Institute, p. 27.</ref>
+===Personnel===
-By the mid-1980s, more resistance movements supported by Ethiopia's communist [[Derg]] administration had sprung up across the country. Barre responded by ordering punitive measures against those he perceived as locally supporting the guerillas, especially in the northern regions. The clampdown included bombing of cities, with the northwestern administrative center of [[Hargeisa]], a [[Somali National Movement]] (SNM) stronghold, among the targeted areas in 1988.<ref name="Locsg">{{cite web|title=Somalia&nbsp;— Government|url=http://countrystudies.us/somalia/65.htm|publisher=Library of Congress|accessdate=15 February 2014}}</ref>
+In July 1976, the [[International Institute for Strategic Studies]] estimated the army consisted of 22,000 personnel, 6 tank battalions, 9 mechanised infantry battalions, 5 infantry battalions, 2 commando battalions, and 11 artillery battalions (5 anti-aircraft).<ref>IISS Military Balance 1976–77, p.44</ref> Two hundred T-34 and 50 T-54/55 main battle tanks had been estimated to have been delivered. The IISS emphasised that 'spares are short and not all equipment is serviceable.' The U.S. Army ''Area Handbook for Somalia'', 1977 edition, agreed that the army comprised six tank and nine mechanised infantry battalions, but listed no infantry battalions, the two commando battalions, and 10 total artillery (five field and five anti-aircraft) battalions. (Kaplan et al., DA Pam 550-86, Second Edition, 1977, p.&nbsp;315)
+By 1987 the U.S. [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] estimated the army was 40,000 strong.<ref>Defense Intelligence Agency, 'Military Intelligence Summary, Vol IV, Part III, Africa South of the Sahara', November 1987, 12</ref> The President, Mohamed Siad Barre, held the rank of Major General and acted as Minister of Defence. There were three vice-ministers of national defence. From the SNA headquarters in Mogadishu four sectors were directed: [[26th Sector]] at [[Hargeisa]], [[54th Sector]] at [[Garowe]], [[21st Sector]] at [[Dusa Mareb]], and [[60th Sector]] at [[Baidoa]]. Thirteen divisions, averaging 3,300 strong, were divided between the four sectors – four in the northernmost and three in each of the other sectors. The sectors were under the command of brigadiers (three) and a colonel (one). [[Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan]] has been reported as 26th Sector commander from 1986 to 1988. Walter S. Clarke seemed to say that Barre's son [Maslah Siad] was commanding the 77th Sector in Mogadishu in November 1987.<ref>Walter S. Clarke, ''Background Information for Operation Restore Hope,'' Strategic Studies Institute, p. 27.</ref>
-Compagnon writes that:<ref>Daniel Compagnon, 'Political decay in Somalia: From Personal Rule to Warlordism,' Refuge, Vol 12, No. 5, November–December 1992, 9</ref>
-<blockquote>From the summer of 1988 onwards, there was a combination of political repression against targeted clans and private use of violence by predatory units and individuals of the former 'national' armed forces - already in the process of disintegration - who used their power to rape, kill, and loot freely. The ..distinction between private illegitimate violence and public coersion disappeared. Many former military men later joined the clan militias or the armed gangs.</blockquote>
+==Structure ==
-Military exercises between the United States and the Siad Barre regime continued during the 1980s. 'Valiant Usher '86' took place during the U.S. fiscal year of 1986, but actually in late 1985, and the [[24th Marine Expeditionary Unit]] participated in Exercise Eastern Wind in August 1987 in the area of Geesalay.<ref>United States Marine Corps, [http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Publications/Restoring%20Hope%20In%20Somalia%20with%20the%20Unified%20Task%20Force%201992-1993%20PCN%2019000413500_4.pdf Restoring Hope in Somalia with the Unified Task Force], 63.</ref> U.S. Army elements conducted training with the Somali 31st Commando Brigade at [[Baledogle Airfield]] outside Mogadishu in 1989.<ref>http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/213227-bring-backs-from-somalia-deployment/</ref>
+===Somali Army===
+In March 2013 there were six trained [[brigade]]s around Mogadishu, two of which were deployed at the time. Each brigade includes three to six [[battalion]]s of around 1000 soldiers apiece, or 18,000 to 36,000 troops in total. Of these, an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 soldiers are currently in service.<ref name="Haisaunplae">{{cite news|last=Kwayera|first=Juma|title=Hope alive in Somalia as UN partially lifts arms embargo|url=http://www.kenyacentral.com/news/73041-kenya-hope-alive-in-somalia-as-un-partially-lifts-arms-embargo.html|accessdate=14 March 2013|newspaper=Standard Digital|date=9 March 2013}}</ref>
-[[File:Somali troops.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Somalian National Army (SNA) troops passing in review during Exercise EASTERN WIND '83 ceremony.]]
-As of 1 June 1989, the [[International Institute for Strategic Studies]] estimated that the Army comprised four corps and 12 division headquarters.<ref name=IISS91Som /> At the time, the military had decreased considerably in size.<ref>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+so0115) History and Development of the Armed Forces]</ref> The IISS noted that these formations 'were in name only; below establishment in units, men, and equipment. Brigades were of battalion size.'<ref name=IISS91Som /> Units and formations listed in 1990 within six military sectors included the twelve divisions, four tank brigades, 45 mechanized and infantry brigades, 4 [[commando]] brigades, 1 surface-to-air missile brigade, 3 field artillery brigades, 30 field battalions, and one air defence artillery battalion.<ref name="LOCSArmyMOS">Helen Chapin Metz, Library of Congress Country Study, Somalia, [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+so0120) Army Mission, Organization, and Strength], research complete May 1992.</ref>
+In February 2014, the Federal Government concluded a six-month training course for the first Commandos, Danab ("Lightning"), since 1991.<ref name="Stifcatcotcg">{{cite news|last=Mohyaddin|first=Shafi’i|title=Somalia trains its first commandos after the collapse of the central government|url=https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2014/Feb/53215/somalia_trains_its_first_commandos_after_the_collapse_of_the_central_government.aspx|accessdate=12 February 2014|newspaper=Hiiraan Online|date=8 February 2014}}</ref>  Training had been jointly carried out by Somali military experts and U.S. government personnel. The Army Chief of Staff Brigadier General Dahir Adan Elmi said that the new Commandos hail from different parts of the county. The Commandos will be headquartered at the former Balli Dogle air base ([[Walaweyn District]], [[Lower Shebelle]]).<ref name="Stifcatcotcg"/> The training of the first Danab unit had begun in October 2013, and included 150 soldiers. As of July 2014, training of the second unit was underway. According to General Elmi, the special training is geared toward both urban and rural environments, and is aimed at preparing the soldiers for guerrilla warfare and all other types of modern military operations. Elmi said that a total of 570 Commandos are expected to have completed training by U.S. security personnel by the end of 2014.<ref name="Utscfa">{{cite news|last1=Dan Joseph|first1=Harun Maruf|title=US-Trained Somali Commandos Fight Al-Shabab|url=http://www.voanews.com/content/us-trained-somali-commandos-fight-against-al-shabab/1968832.html|accessdate=1 August 2014|agency=VOA|date=31 July 2014}}</ref>
-In mid-November 1989, rebel forces briefly captured the Mudug province's capital Galkayo, [[Human Rights Watch]] reported in September 1990. They reportedly seized significant quantities of military equipment at the 4th Division Headquarters, including tanks, 30 mobile anti-aircraft guns and rocket launchers. However, the rebels were unable to take most of this equipment so they incinerated it. Government forces thereafter launched massive reprisals against civilians residing in the regions corresponding with the 21st, 54th, 60th and 77th military sectors. The impacted towns and villages included Gowlalo, Dagaari, Sadle-Higlo, Bandiir Adley, Galinsor, Wargalo, Do'ol, Halimo, Go'ondalay and Galkayo.<ref>[http://www.hrw.org/reports/pdfs/s/somalia/somalia909.pdf Human Rights Watch]</ref>
+===Somali Air Force===
-The various rebel movements eventually succeeded in ousting the government altogether in the ensuing [[Somali Civil War|civil war]] that broke out in 1991. The Somali National Army and all related military and security forces finally dissolved.<ref name="Fitzgerald19"/> In 1992, the 15-member Security Council imposed an [[arms embargo]] via [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 733]] in order to stop the flow of weapons to feuding militia groups.<ref name="Aueoaefs">{{cite news|title=UN eases oldest arms embargo for Somalia|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/un-eases-oldest-arms-embargo-for-somalia/story-fn3dxix6-1226592031840|accessdate=6 March 2013|newspaper=AAP|date=6 March 2013}}</ref> Much equipment was left ''in situ'', deteriorating, and was sometimes discovered and photographed by intervention forces in the early 1990s.
+The [[Somali Air Force]] (SAF) was originally named the Somali Air Corps (SAC), and was established with Italian aid in the early 1960s. It emerged from the Italian "Corpo di Sicurezza della Somalia" that existed between 1950 and 1960, during the [[Trust Territory of Somalia|trusteeship period]] just prior to independence. The SAF's original equipment included eight [[North American F-51 Mustang|North American F-51D Mustang]]s, [[Douglas C-47]]s and MiG 23s, which remained in service until 1968. The air force operated most of its aircraft from bases near [[Mogadishu]], [[Hargeisa]] and [[Galkayo]]. An air defence force equipped with Soviet surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft guns was in existence by 1992.<ref>Somalia, A Country Study, 1992/3, 205.</ref>
+By January 1991 the air force was in ruins.<ref name="Fitzgerald19"/> In 2012, Italy offered to help rebuild the air force.<ref name="Lpmmitmidaarts"/>
-==Somali National Army from 2008==
+In October 2014, Somali Air Force cadets underwent additional training in [[Turkey]].<ref name="Safcit">{{cite news|title=Somali air force cadets in Turkey|url=http://somalianewsroom.com/2014/10/24/putting-the-puzzle-together-what-does-the-future-hold-for-somalias-military-forces/somali-air-force-cadets-in-turkey/|accessdate=9 May 2015|agency=Somalia Newsroom|date=23 October 2013}}</ref>
+On July 1 2015, the [[Ministry of Defence (Somalia)|Somali Defence Minister]] [[Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini]] reopened the headquarter of the Somali Air Force. Located in Afisone, Mogadishu the move would facilitate the re-establishment of the air force after 25 years of civil war.<ref name="adask">{{cite news|title=Somalia Reopens Air Force Headquarter|url=http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=15393|accessdate=3 July 2015|agency=Goobjoog News|date=1 July 2015}}</ref>
-===Training and facilities===
-[[File:Dhraelm1.jpg|thumb|right|Brigadier General [[Dahir Adan Elmi]], Chief of Defence Force, while meeting with Commander, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa in 2013]]
-In November 2009, the [[European Union]] announced its intention to train two Somali [[battalion]]s (around 2,000 troops), which would complement other training missions and bring the total number of better-trained Somalian soldiers to 6,000.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSLH63347620091117 Donors pledge over $250 million for Somalia]</ref> The two [[battalion]]s were expected to be ready by August 2011.<ref>http://shabelle.net/article.php?id=6246</ref> In April 2011, 1,000 recruits completed training in [[Uganda]] as a part of the agreement with the EU.<ref>[http://sunatimes.com/view.php?id=970 1000 Somali Recruits Complete training in Uganda]</ref>
+According to CQ Press' ''Worldwide Government Directory with Intergovernmental Organizations'', Somalia's reconstituted air force as of 2013 is led by Maj. Gen. Nur Ilmi Adawe.<ref name="Wgdwiot"/>
-Powerful vested interests and corrupt commanders were, as of February 2011, the largest obstacle to reforming the army. Some newly delivered weaponry was sold by officers. The [[International Crisis Group]] also said that AMISOM's efforts at assisting in formalizing the military's structure and providing training to the estimated 8,000 SNA soldiers were problematic. Resistance continued to the establishment of an effective chain of command, logical military formations and a credible troop roster. Although General [[Mohamed Gelle Kahiye]], the respected former army chief, attempted to instill reforms, he was marginalized and eventually dimissed.<ref>International Crisis Group, [http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/africa/horn-of-africa/somalia/170%20Somalia%20The%20Transitional%20Government%20on%20Life%20Support.pdf Somalia: The Transitional Government on Life Support], Africa Report 170, 20 February 2011, p.16</ref>
+===Somali Navy===
-In August 2011, as part of the [[European Union Training Mission Somalia]] (EUTM Somalia), 900 Somali soldiers graduated from the Bihanga Military Training School in the [[Ibanda District]] of Uganda.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bar-kulan.com/2011/09/02/900-newly-trained-somali-soldiers-dispatched-from-ugandan-military-school/|title=900 newly trained Somali soldiers dispatched from Ugandan military school|publisher=Bar-Kulan|date=2 September 2011}}</ref><ref name="eutrainb"/> 150 personnel from the EU took part in the training process, which trained around 2,000 Somali troops per year.<ref name="eutrainb">{{cite news|url=http://hiiraan.com/news2/2011/Sept/special_forces_in_mogadishu.aspx|title=Special Forces In Mogadishu|publisher=Hiiraan Online|date=7 September 2011}}</ref> In May 2012, 603 Somali army personnel completed training at the facility. They were the third batch of Somali nationals to be trained there under the auspices of EUTM Somalia.<ref>IRIN News, 14 May 2012, via Africa Research Bulletin-PSC, 1–31 May 2012, p.19287C.</ref> In total, the EU mission had trained 3,600 Somali soldiers, before permanently transferring all of its advisory, mentoring and training activities to Mogadishu in December 2013.<ref name="Emtplis">{{cite news|title=EU military training programme launches in Somalia|url=http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/newsbriefs/2014/02/26/newsbrief-04|agency=Sabahi|date=26 February 2014}}</ref>
+[[File:Somali navy.png|thumb|right|Two Somali [[Osa class missile boat|Osa-class missile boats]] during the 1983 [[Operation Bright Star]].]]
+The [[Somali Navy]] was formed after independence in 1960. Prior to 1991, it participated in several joint exercises with the United States, [[Great Britain]] and [[Canada]]. It disintegrated during the beginning of the civil war in Somalia, from the late 1980s.<ref name="Twtadoama"/> In the 2000s (decade), the central government began the process of re-establishing the Somali Navy.<ref name="Smnstmtmftsic">{{cite news|title=Somalia to Make Task Marine Forces to Secure Its Coast|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201208010023.html|accessdate=9 August 2012|newspaper=Shabelle Media Network|date=31 July 2012}}</ref>
+On 30 June 2012, the [[United Arab Emirates]] announced a contribution of $1 million toward enhancing Somalia's naval security. Boats, equipment and communication gear necessary for the rebuilding of the coast guard would be bought. A central operations naval command was also planned to be set up in Mogadishu.<ref name="Uctcuotssnscsg">{{cite news|title=UAE committed to contribute US$1 million to support Somali naval security capabilities, says Gargash|url=http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/UAE_committed_to_contribute_US$1_million_to_support_Somali_naval_security_capabilities,_says_Gargash/50139.htm|accessdate=24 March 2013|newspaper=UAE Interact|date=30 June 2012}}</ref>
-In September 2011, President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed laid down the foundation for a new military camp for the army in the Jazeera District of Mogadishu. The $3.2 million construction project was funded by the EU and was expected to take six months to complete.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.somaliareport.com/index.php/post/1581/President_Sharif_Opens_Military_Camp_in_Capital|title=President Sharif Opens Military Camp in Capital|publisher=SomaliaReport|date=16 September 2011}}</ref>
-In June 2013, Egyptian engineers arrived to build new headquarters for the Somalia Ministry of Defence.<ref name="Ethrsmod">{{cite news|title=Egypt to help re-build Somali Ministry of Defence |url=http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/newsbriefs/2013/06/05/newsbrief-06 |accessdate=20 June 2014 |agency=Sabahi |date=5 June 2013 |deadurl=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214231416/http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/newsbriefs/2013/06/05/newsbrief-06 |archivedate=14 December 2014 }}</ref>
-In February 2014, EUTM Somalia began its first "Train the Trainers" programme at the Jazeera Training Camp in Mogadishu. 60 Somali National Army soldiers that had been previously trained by EUTM in Uganda would take part in a four-week refresher course on infantry techniques and procedures, including international humanitarian law and military ethics. The training would be conducted by 16 EU trainers. Following the course's completion, the Somali soldiers would be qualified as instructors to then train SNA recruits, with mentoring provided by EUTM Somalia personnel.<ref name="Essitaim">{{cite web|title=EUTM Somalia starts its training activities in Mogadishu|url=http://eeas.europa.eu/top_stories/2014/250214_eutm_somalia_en.htm|publisher=EUTM Somalia|accessdate=21 June 2014}}</ref> A team of EUTM Somalia advisors also started offering strategic advice to the Somali Ministry of Defence and General Staff. Additionally, capacity building, advice and specific mentoring with regard to security sector development and training are envisioned for 2014.<ref name="Esmd">{{cite web|title=Mission description|url=http://www.eeas.europa.eu/csdp/missions-and-operations/eutm-somalia/mission-description/index_en.htm|publisher=EUTM Somalia|accessdate=21 June 2014}}</ref>
-In February 2014, Chief of Staff Brigadier General [[Dahir Adan Elmi]] announced that Somalia's Ministry of Defence began holding military training inside the country for the first time, with Somali instructors now teaching courses to units that joined the armed forces. He also indicated that SNA leaders had created new numbered units for the army, and that the soldiers were slated to have their respective name and unit placed on their uniform. Additionally, Elmi stated that the military had implemented a new [[Biometrics|biometric]] registration system, wherein each recently trained and armed soldier is photographed and fingerprinted.<ref name="Ssnacrawtt">{{cite news|title=Somali National Army commander: Reviving army will take time|url=http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/features/2014/02/20/feature-01|accessdate=14 June 2014|agency=Sabahi|date=20 February 2014}}</ref> By the end of 2014, 17,000 national army soldiers and police officers had registered for the new biometric remuneration system.<ref name="Gsyod">{{cite news|title=Somalia's Year of Delivery|url=http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=9513|accessdate=31 January 2015|agency=Goobjoog|date=31 January 2015}}</ref> 13,829 SNA soldiers and 5,134 Somali Police Force officials were biometrically registered in the system as of May 2015.<ref name="Urotsgosmtf">{{cite web|title=Report of the Secretary - General on Somalia - S /2015/331|url=http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=s/2015/331|publisher=United Nations Security Council|accessdate=18 May 2015}}</ref>
-In July 2014, the governments of the [[United States]] and [[France]] announced that they would start providing training to the Somali National Army.<ref name="Uafattsna">{{cite news|title=US and France agrees to train Somali National army|url=http://buraannews.com/articles/2827/Somalia-Buraan-Radio-US-and-France-agrees-to-train-Somali-National-army|accessdate=11 July 2014|publisher=Buraan News|date=11 July 2014}}</ref> According to U.S. Defense Department officials, American military advisers are also stationed in Somalia.<ref name="Utscfa">{{cite news|last1=Dan Joseph|first1=Harun Maruf|title=US-Trained Somali Commandos Fight Al-Shabab|url=http://www.voanews.com/content/us-trained-somali-commandos-fight-against-al-shabab/1968832.html|accessdate=1 August 2014|agency=VOA|date=31 July 2014}}</ref>
-In September 2014, 20 Somalian federal soldiers began training courses in Djibouti, which were organized by the government of Djibouti.<ref name="Gdttfgf">{{cite news|title=Djibouti to train federal government forces|url=http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=4018|accessdate=23 December 2014|newspaper=Goobjoog|date=17 September 2014}}</ref>
-In September 2014, a Somali government delegation led by Prime Minister [[Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed]] attended an international conference in [[London]] hosted by the British government, which centered on rebuilding the Somali National Army and strengthening the security sector in Somalia. Ahmed presented to the participants his administration's plan for the development of Somalia's military, as well as fiscal planning, human rights protection, arms embargo compliance, and ways to integrate regional militias. The summit also aimed to increase financial support for the Somali military. British Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] in turn indicated that the meeting sought to outline a long-term security plan to strengthen Somalia's army, police and judiciary.<ref name="Maiclss">{{cite news|title=An international conference in London on Somali security|url=http://www.mfa.gov.et/news/more.php?newsid=3480|accessdate=23 December 2014|agency=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia|date=19 September 2014}}</ref>
-In March 2015, the [[Cabinet of Somalia|Federal Cabinet]] agreed to establish a new commission tasked with overseeing the nationalization and integration of security forces in the country.<ref name="Scmafmctwt">{{cite news|title=Somali Cabinet Ministers agree financial management committee to work temporarily|url=http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=11985|accessdate=30 March 2015|agency=Goobjoog|date=19 March 2015}}</ref> In April 2015, the Commission on Regional Militia Integration presented its plan for the formal integration of regional forces, with UNSOM providing support and strategic advice.<ref name="Urotsgosmtf"/>
-In April 2015, the federal Ministry of Defence launched its new Guulwade Plan (Victory Plan), which provides a roadmap for long-term development of the military. It was formulated with technical support from UNSOM. The framework stipulates that international partners are slated to provide capacity-building as well as assistance for joint operations to 10,900 Somali national army troops, with these units drawn from various regions in the country.<ref name="Urotsgosmtf"/>
-As of April 2015, UNSOM coordinates international security sector assistance for the SNA in accordance with the Somali federal government's priority areas. It also provides advice on recruitment of female officers, strictures on age appropriate military personnel, legal frameworks vis-a-vis the defence institutions, and a development strategy for the Ministry of Defence. Beginning in the month, the US government also funded the payment of 9,495 army allowances.<ref name="Urotsgosmtf"/>
-In May 2015, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud officially opened a new military training camp in Mogadishu. Construction of the center began in 2014 in conjunction with the government of the [[United Arab Emirates]]. Situated in the Hodan district, it is one of several new military academies in the country.<ref name="Gsoonmtcim">{{cite news|title=Somali president officially opens new military training centre in Mogadishu|url=http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=13830|accessdate=13 May 2015|agency=Goobjoog|date=12 May 2015}}</ref>
-As of May 2015, the federal government in conjunction with UNSOM was working toward establishing a comprehensive, international standards and obligations-compliant ammunition and weapons management system. To this end, capacity-building for the physical management of arms and bookkeeping was being developed, and new storage facilities and armouries for weapons and explosives were being constructed.<ref name="Urotsgosmtf"/>
-===Strength and units===
-In August 2011, the TFG announced the creation of a new Special Force. Consisting of 300 trained soldiers, the unit was initially mandated with protecting relief shipments and distribution centers in Mogadishu. Besides helping to stabilize the city, the protection force is also tasked with combating banditry and other vices.<ref name="Arstsuapf">{{cite news|last=Khalif|first=Abdulkadir|title=Somalia to set up aid protection force|url=http://www.africareview.com/News/Somalia+to+set+up+aid+protection+force/-/979180/1218894/-/ykbgcnz/-/login|accessdate=26 June 2012|newspaper=Africa Review|date=14 August 2011}}</ref>
-In March 2013 there were six trained [[brigade]]s around Mogadishu, two of which were deployed at the time. Each brigade includes three to six [[battalion]]s of around 1000 soldiers apiece, or 18,000 to 36,000 troops in total. Of these, an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 soldiers are currently in service.<ref name="Haisaunplae">{{cite news|last=Kwayera|first=Juma|title=Hope alive in Somalia as UN partially lifts arms embargo|url=http://www.kenyacentral.com/news/73041-kenya-hope-alive-in-somalia-as-un-partially-lifts-arms-embargo.html|accessdate=14 March 2013|newspaper=Standard Digital|date=9 March 2013}}</ref>
-According to the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, the six SNA brigades around Mogadishu were as of July 2013 largely composed of officers from various Hawiye sub-clans, with some [[Marehan]]-[[Darod]] and minorities also present in certain units. Of the brigades, five primarily consisted of [[Abgaal]], [[Murosade]] and [[Hawadle]] soldiers. In February 2013 the 2nd Brigade was under the command of Brigadier General [[Abdullahi Osman Agey]]. The 3rd Brigade over the same period comprised 840 fighters, most of whom belong to the [[Hawiye]]-[[Habar Gidir]]/Ayr clan. The unit was around 30% to 50% smaller in size than the other five brigades that are garrisoned in the larger Banaadir region. Led by General [[Mohamed Roble Jimale 'Gobale']], it occupied an area outside of Mogadishu and Merka and along the Afgoye corridor. The Monitoring Group reported that many 3rd Brigade fighters had been drawn from around 300-strong militias controlled by [[Yusuf Mohamed Siyaad 'Indha Adde']], a close associate of Jimale and the former Eritrean-backed chief of defence for the [[Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia]]-Asmara. However, Siyaad was by then no longer part of the SNA's official military structures.<ref name="SEMG440">{{cite web|title=Report S/2013/440 of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea pursuant to Security Council resolution 2060 (2012): Eritrea|url=http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/s_2013_440.pdf|publisher=UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea|accessdate=26 June 2014}}, page 19, para. 50–51 & footnote 44.</ref>
-As of May–June 2014, the army reportedly consists of an estimated 20,000 soldiers. Of these, the majority are men, with around 1,500 female SNA officials.<ref name="Fsijmris">{{cite news|last1=Guled|first1=Abdi|title=Female soldiers increasingly joining military ranks in Somalia|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/ArticlePrint.aspx?id=258200&mode=print|accessdate=21 June 2014|agency=AP|publisher=The Daily Star|date=30 May 2014}}</ref>
-The Fifth Brigade was identified in reporting about a New Zealand UN advisor.<ref>http://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/222915/stationed-somalia.</ref> Later, on June 9, 2014, Garowe Online referred to the [[5th Brigade (Somalia)|Fifth]] and [[6th Brigade (Somalia)|Sixth Brigade]]s of the SNA, in [[Lower Shabelle]].<ref>[http://allafrica.com/stories/201406100182.html Somalia: Rival Soldiers in Deadly Battle Again As PM Calls for Calm], http://allafrica.com/stories/201406100182.html/Garoweonline.com, 9 June 2014.</ref> The 5th and 6th Brigades have played a pivotal role in the battle against Al-Shabaab, including in Mogadishu and [[Afgoye]]. With a post-training drop-out rate of around 10%, the vast majority of the EUTM-trained soldiers have continued to serve in the Somalia national security forces after their initial period of training abroad, and their units have remained intact. The standard of the EUTM-trained troops is regarded as being high relative to the brigades around Mogadishu. Overall, the Somali armed forces' combat capability has strengthened due in part to having both more combat experience and international support, including training, leadership and planning facilitation.<ref name="EUTMSomams">{{cite web|last1=Claes Nilsson|first1=Johan Norberg|title=European Union Training Mission Somalia – A Mission Assessment|url=http://www.foi.se/Documents/Nilsson%20and%20Norberg,%20European%20Union%20Training%20MissionSomalia.%20A%20Mission%20Assessment,%202014.pdf|publisher=European Union Training Mission Somalia|accessdate=22 May 2015}}</ref>
-In February 2014, the Federal Government concluded a six-month training course for the first Commandos, Danab ("Lightning"), since 1991.<ref name="Stifcatcotcg">{{cite news|last=Mohyaddin|first=Shafi’i|title=Somalia trains its first commandos after the collapse of the central government|url=https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2014/Feb/53215/somalia_trains_its_first_commandos_after_the_collapse_of_the_central_government.aspx|accessdate=12 February 2014|newspaper=Hiiraan Online|date=8 February 2014}}</ref>  Training had been jointly carried out by Somali military experts and U.S. government personnel. The Army Chief of Staff Brigadier General Dahir Adan Elmi said that the new Commandos hail from different parts of the county. The Commandos will be headquartered at the former Balli Dogle air base ([[Walaweyn District]], [[Lower Shebelle]]).<ref name="Stifcatcotcg"/> The training of the first Danab unit had begun in October 2013, and included 150 soldiers. As of July 2014, training of the second unit was underway. According to General Elmi, the special training is geared toward both urban and rural environments, and is aimed at preparing the soldiers for guerrilla warfare and all other types of modern military operations. Elmi said that a total of 570 Commandos are expected to have completed training by U.S. security personnel by the end of 2014.<ref name="Utscfa"/>
-===Agreements===
+==Agreements==
 Somalia has signed military cooperation agreements with Turkey in May 2010,<ref name="Tsmaa">{{cite news|title=Turkey-Somalia military agreement approved|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-297699-turkey-somalia-military-agreement-approved.html|accessdate=13 August 2013|newspaper=Today's Zaman|date=9 November 2012}}</ref> February 2014,<ref name="Rsmdsamswtdm">{{cite news|title=SOMALIA: Ministry of Defense signs an agreement of military support with Turkish Defense ministry|url=http://www.raxanreeb.com/2014/02/somalia-ministry-of-defense-sings-an-agreement-of-military-support-with-turkish-defense-ministry/|accessdate=10 April 2014|newspaper=Raxanreeb|date=28 February 2014}}</ref> and January 2015.<ref name="Gpresv">{{cite news|title=Press Release: Erdogan’s Somalia Visit|url=http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=9308|accessdate=29 January 2015|agency=Goobjoog|date=25 January 2015}}</ref>
@@ Line 156: / Line 134: @@
 ===Army equipment===
-====Army equipment, 1981====
+===Army equipment, 1981===
 The following were the Somali National Army's major weapons in 1981:<ref name="Sarmrnks"/>
 [[File:Saft55.jpg|thumb|right||A [[T-55]], one of several SNA tanks.]]
@@ Line 283: / Line 261: @@
 |}
-====Army equipment, 1989====
+===Army equipment, 1989===
 [[File:Abandoned Somali tanks.JPEG|thumb|right|220px|Abandoned Somali tanks in Mogadishu, discovered by U.S. Army troops on 1 December 1993.]]
 Previous arms acquisitions included the following equipment, much of which was unserviceable ca. June 1989:<ref name=IISS91Som/>
 [[main battle tank]]s (30 [[Centurion tank|Centurion]] from Kuwait<ref name="Arms Trade Register">{{cite web|url=http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php|title=Arms Trade Register|publisher=SIPRI|accessdate=24 June 2012}}</ref> 123 [[M47 Patton]], 30 [[T-34]], 110 [[T-54/55]] from various sources). Other armoured fighting vehicles included 10 [[M41 Walker Bulldog]] light tanks, 30 [[BRDM-2]] and 15 [[Panhard AML]]-90 armored cars (formerly owned by Saudi Arabia). The IISS estimated in 1989 that there were 474 [[armoured personnel carrier]]s, including 64 [[BTR-40]]/[[BTR-50]]/[[BTR-60]], 100 [[BTR-152]] wheeled armored personnel carriers, 310 [[Fiat 6614]] and 6616s, and that [[BMR-600]]s had been reported. The IISS estimated that there were 210 towed artillery pieces (8 M-1944 100mm, 100 M-56 105mm, 84 M-1938 122mm, and 18 [[M198 howitzer|M198]] 155&nbsp;mm towed howitzers). Other equipment reported by the IISS included 82mm and 120mm mortars, 100 Milan and [[BGM-71 TOW]] anti-tank guided missiles, rocket launchers, recoilless rifles, and a variety of Soviet air defence guns of 20mm, 23mm, 37mm, 40mm, 57mm, and 100mm calibre. As of 1 June 1989, the IISS also estimated that Somali army surface-to-air defense equipment included 40 [[SA-2 Guideline]] missiles (operational status uncertain), 10 [[SA-3 Goa]], and 20 [[SA-7]] surface-to-air missiles.<ref name=IISS91Som>IISS Military Balance 1989–90, Brassey's for the IISS, 1989, 113.</ref>
-====Army equipment, 2012-2015====
+===Army equipment, 2012-2015===
 In May 2012, over thirty-three vehicles were donated by the U.S. government to the SNA. The vehicles include 16 Magirus Trucks, 4 Hilux Pickups, 6 Land Cruiser Pickups, 1 Water Tanker, and 6 Water Trailers.<ref name="Prahomvttsna">{{cite news|title=PRESS RELEASE: AMISOM hands over military vehicles to the Somali National Army|url=http://amisom-au.org/2012/05/amisom-hands-over-military-vehicles-to-the-somali-national-army/|accessdate=14 August 2014|agency=AMISOM|date=18 May 2012}}</ref> On 9 April 2013, the U.S. government approved the provision of defense articles and services by the American authorities to the Somali Federal Government.<ref name="Usearfs">{{cite news|title=U.S. eases arms restrictions for Somalia|url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2013/04/09/US-eases-arms-restrictions-for-Somalia/UPI-82061365516759/|accessdate=22 April 2013|newspaper=UPI|date=9 April 2013}}</ref> It handed over 15 vehicles to the new Commandos in March 2014.<ref name="Rsudmvtntsc">{{cite news|title=SOMALIA: U.S donates military vehicles to newly trained Somali Commandos|url=http://www.raxanreeb.com/2014/03/somalia-u-s-donates-military-vehicles-to-newly-trained-somali-commandos/|accessdate=7 April 2014|newspaper=Raxanreeb|date=5 March 2014}}</ref>
@@ Line 297: / Line 275: @@
 As of April 2015, the Ministry of Defence's Guulwade Plan identifies the equipment and weaponry requirements of the army.<ref name="Urotsgosmtf"/>
-==Somali Air Force==
-The [[Somali Air Force]] (SAF) was originally named the Somali Air Corps (SAC), and was established with Italian aid in the early 1960s. It emerged from the Italian "Corpo di Sicurezza della Somalia" that existed between 1950 and 1960, during the [[Trust Territory of Somalia|trusteeship period]] just prior to independence. The SAF's original equipment included eight [[North American F-51 Mustang|North American F-51D Mustang]]s, [[Douglas C-47]]s and MiG 23s, which remained in service until 1968. The air force operated most of its aircraft from bases near [[Mogadishu]], [[Hargeisa]] and [[Galkayo]]. An air defence force equipped with Soviet surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft guns was in existence by 1992.<ref>Somalia, A Country Study, 1992/3, 205.</ref>
-By January 1991 the air force was in ruins.<ref name="Fitzgerald19"/> In 2012, Italy offered to help rebuild the air force.<ref name="Lpmmitmidaarts"/>
-According to CQ Press' ''Worldwide Government Directory with Intergovernmental Organizations'', Somalia's reconstituted air force as of 2013 is led by Maj. Gen. Nur Ilmi Adawe.<ref name="Wgdwiot"/>
-==Somali Navy==
-[[File:Somali navy.png|thumb|right|Two Somali [[Osa class missile boat|Osa-class missile boats]] during the 1983 [[Operation Bright Star]].]]
-The [[Somali Navy]] was formed after independence in 1960. Prior to 1991, it participated in several joint exercises with the United States, [[Great Britain]] and [[Canada]]. It disintegrated during the beginning of the civil war in Somalia, from the late 1980s.<ref name="Twtadoama"/> In the 2000s (decade), the central government began the process of re-establishing the Somali Navy.<ref name="Smnstmtmftsic">{{cite news|title=Somalia to Make Task Marine Forces to Secure Its Coast|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201208010023.html|accessdate=9 August 2012|newspaper=Shabelle Media Network|date=31 July 2012}}</ref>
-On 30 June 2012, the [[United Arab Emirates]] announced a contribution of $1 million toward enhancing Somalia's naval security. Boats, equipment and communication gear necessary for the rebuilding of the coast guard would be bought. A central operations naval command was also planned to be set up in Mogadishu.<ref name="Uctcuotssnscsg">{{cite news|title=UAE committed to contribute US$1 million to support Somali naval security capabilities, says Gargash|url=http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/UAE_committed_to_contribute_US$1_million_to_support_Somali_naval_security_capabilities,_says_Gargash/50139.htm|accessdate=24 March 2013|newspaper=UAE Interact|date=30 June 2012}}</ref>
 ==Leadership==

v t e Somali Armed Forces
Ministries	Defence
Somali Armed Forces	Army Danab Brigade Army Music Corps Navy Air Force (historically, not currently, also included Police and Custodial Corps, now under different Ministries)
Commanders	Chief of Defence Force Chief of the Navy Chief of the Air Force
Personnel	Military ranks Equipment

v t e Militaries of Africa
Sovereign states	Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
States and regions with limited or no recognition	Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland Tigray
Dependencies and other territories	Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / Alboran Island / Plazas de soberanía (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom)