The 1991 Persian Gulf War

Kuwait

by David Nilsen and Greg Novak

The pre-war Kuwait Army had two armored brigades and one mechanized brigade, supportedby an artillery brigade. Elements of two brigades broke out of the country and regrouped in Saudi Arabia. Kuwaitis returned from abroad to join the Free Kuwait Army in large numbers, and were formed into several Light Infantry Brigades, trained in-theater by US Army 5th Special Forces Group. As there was insufficient time to train these troops, many with no prior military experience, in a full range of military procedures, their training concentrated primarily on urban warfare of the type they expected to practice when liberating Kuwait and the rebuilt armored and mech units were intended for use as armored fire support in house-to-house urban operations.

Their US trainers were uniformly impressed by the seriousness, discipline, and dedication that these new soldiers brought to the liberation of their homeland. Based on the total population of Kuwait, the total manpower under arms was very impressive indeed.

The Kuwaiti 15th and 35th Brigades are rebuilt pre-war formations. The 35th Armored Brigade escaped to Saudi Arabia with 32 Chieftain tanks. At the time of the Iraqi invasion, Kuwait had 300 M-84 tanks on order from Yugoslavia. (The M-84 was a Yugoslav copy of the T-72M; the Kuwaitis had evaluated Soviet-made models, but were unimpressed by the shoddy workmariship.) As these M-84s were delivered to the Kuwaiti forces in Saudi Arabia, they were used to rebuild the decimated 35th Brigade (now named the "Shaheed," or "Martyr" Brigade), reportedly by combining them with the Chieftains in mixed companies. The 15th Mech Brigade along with the 35th was also rebuilt with M-84s and BMP-2s also on order, and reportedly was also provided with M113s from US Army and RSLF stocks. The 15th Mech may have drawn heavily from personnel of the US Special Forces-trained Kuwaiti "Al Tahrir" Commando Brigade. The 35th and 15th Brigades are rated as Regular, Morale 10.

The remaining five Kuwaiti brigades, Fatah, Al Haq, Khulud, and Badr, are Motorized (Light) Infantry Brigades mounted largely in commercial vehicles with .50 caliber machineguns, and are Trained, Morale 10. Kuwaiti pilots should be rated as Veteran, Morale 10.

For command and control purposes treat the 35th Brigade (in Task Force Muthana) as being attached to the Saudi 20thMechBrigade, the 15th Brigade (in Task Force Sa'ad) as under the command of the Saudi 4th Armored Brigade, and the "Al Fatalf 'Brigade (in Task Force Othman) as under the command of the Saudi 8th Mech Brigade.

35th "Shaheed" Armored Brigade

Brigade Headquarters, with:

    1 command stand
    1 jeep
    1 M577 TDC
    2 5-ton supply trucks

7th and 8th Armored Battalions, each with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command Chieftain
      1 maintenance van
      1 5-ton supply truck

    3 Tank Companies, each with: 1 command Chieftain and 2 M-84s

2nd Mechanized Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 BMP-2
      2 M901 ITVs

    3 Mechanized Infantry Companies, each with:

      1 command infantry stand
      2 infantry stands
      3 BMP-2

Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 FO stand
      1 M577 TOC
      1 M113A2

    3 Firing Batteries, each with:

      1 M109AIB SP 155 Howitzer
      1 M548 Ammo Tractor

15th Mechanized Brigade

Brigade Headquarters, with:

    1 command stand
    1 jeep
    1 M577 TOC
    2 5-ton supply trucks

Tank Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command M-84
      1 maintenance van
      1 5-ton supply truck

    3 Tank Companies, each with:

      1 command M-84
      2 M-84s with mine rollers

2 Mechanized Infantry Battalions, each with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 M113A2 APC
      2 M901 ITVs

    3 Mechanized Infantry Companies, each with:

      1 command infantry stand
      2 infantry stands
      3 M113A2 APCs

1 Saudi/Kuwaiti Engineer Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 M113A2 APC

    2 Engineer Companies, each with:

      1 command engineer stand
      1 engineer stands
      2 M113A2 APCs
      1 bulldozer
      1 AVLB
      1 M60A1 with full-width mine rake

Artillery Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 FO stand
      1 M577 TOC
      1 M113A2
      2 5-ton supply trucks

    2 Firing Batteries, each with:

      1 towed 155 Howitzer
      1 gun crew stand
      1 5-ton truck

    Firing Battery, with:

      1 Mk F3 SP 155 Howitzer
      1 M548 Ammo Tractor

Motorized Infantry Brigade

Brigade Headquarters, with:

    1 command stand
    1 jeep
    1 5-ton van TOC
    2 5-ton supply trucks

1-3 Motorized (Light) Infantry Battalions, each with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 light truck
      1 recon light truck with HMG

    3 Motorized Light Infantry Companies, each with:

      1 command infantry stand
      1 infantry stand
      2 medium trucks with HMGs

Notes

1. The RPG-7 or LAW were used as the LAW weapon of the Free Kuwaiti Army.

2. One stand in each infantry company has either the SA-7 or Redeye for use as the SAM.

3. The 15th Mech Brigade was the breaching force for Task Force Khalid. The engineer battalion was a scratch force assembled during the war, instructed by US forces, and augmented with US equipment.

More Tables of Organization

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© Copyright 1994 by Greg Novak.
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