Eritrean Army
Encyclopedia
The Eritrean Army is the largest branch of the Eritrean Defence Forces and is based in the Eritrea
n capital, Asmara
. It is responsible for the defence of mainland Eritrea
. Eritrean army is composed of four separate corps, each broken into 20 infantry brigades, single commando division and one mechanized brigade . However, current number of divisions of the Eritrean army cannot be fully confirmed, because the organizational structure changed rapidly in early 2000, but before that Eritrean army had 24 divisions at its disposal . Encyclopedia of uniform insignia lists and provides pictures of several ranks of the Eritrean army, including major general, brigadier general, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, lieutenant 1st class, lieutenant 2nd class, master sergeant, staff sergeant, sergeant, corporal and private 1st class
(EPLF). The trial by fire experienced by the EPLF during the Eritrean War of Independence
created a force that was able to contend with the largest armed force on the African continent.
During the Eritrean struggle for independence the EPLF fought several large scale battles towards the end of the war. The most decisive were the Battle of Afabet
in 1988 and the Battle of Massawa
in 1990. These battles saw the collision of major units of the EPLF versus a conventional armed force.
Since its independence in 1992, Eritrea has taken part in multiple wars and clashes with its neighbors. Most notably the war with Ethiopia and border conflict with Djibouti. Especially with Djibouti Eritrea have had several wars and clashes within the last two decades. Most recently in 2008 relations between Eritrea and Djibouti were driven to a point where war was imminent, but avoided without full scale war .
as Minister of Defence, the Eritrean army has experienced a major transformation. During this period the EPLA saw many cuts into its force in an effort to professionalize the force.
During, and since, the Eritrean-Ethiopian War
the army has exploded in size from its peacetime size of between 20,000-50,000 to 250,000.
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
n capital, Asmara
Asmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
. It is responsible for the defence of mainland Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
. Eritrean army is composed of four separate corps, each broken into 20 infantry brigades, single commando division and one mechanized brigade . However, current number of divisions of the Eritrean army cannot be fully confirmed, because the organizational structure changed rapidly in early 2000, but before that Eritrean army had 24 divisions at its disposal . Encyclopedia of uniform insignia lists and provides pictures of several ranks of the Eritrean army, including major general, brigadier general, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, lieutenant 1st class, lieutenant 2nd class, master sergeant, staff sergeant, sergeant, corporal and private 1st class
History
The current Eritrean army is an outgrowth of the revolutionary Eritrean People's Liberation FrontEritrean People's Liberation Front
The Eritrean People's Liberation Front was an armed organization that fought for the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia. It emerged in 1970 as an intellectual left-wing group that split from the Eritrean Liberation Front .-Background:...
(EPLF). The trial by fire experienced by the EPLF during the Eritrean War of Independence
Eritrean War of Independence
The Eritrean War of Independence was a conflict fought between the Ethiopian government and Eritrean separatists, both before and during the Ethiopian Civil War. The war started when Eritrea’s autonomy within Ethiopia, where troops were already stationed, was unilaterally revoked...
created a force that was able to contend with the largest armed force on the African continent.
During the Eritrean struggle for independence the EPLF fought several large scale battles towards the end of the war. The most decisive were the Battle of Afabet
Battle of Afabet
The Battle at Afabet was a watershed battle in the Eritrean War of Independence. The Battle occurred from March 17 through March 20, 1988 in and around the town of Afabet. This was Mengistu Haile Mariam's first humiliating defeat at the hands of the Eritreans....
in 1988 and the Battle of Massawa
Battle of Massawa (1990)
The Second Battle of Massawa took place in 1990 in and around the coastal city of Massawa in Eritrea. This offensive was also dubbed the Fenkil Offensive and was conducted by both land and sea by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front against the Ethiopian Army.-The battle:Beginning on February...
in 1990. These battles saw the collision of major units of the EPLF versus a conventional armed force.
Since its independence in 1992, Eritrea has taken part in multiple wars and clashes with its neighbors. Most notably the war with Ethiopia and border conflict with Djibouti. Especially with Djibouti Eritrea have had several wars and clashes within the last two decades. Most recently in 2008 relations between Eritrea and Djibouti were driven to a point where war was imminent, but avoided without full scale war .
Infantry weapons
| Name | Type | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M16 rifle M16 rifle The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO... |
Assault rifle | ||
| AK47 | Assault rifle | ||
| Makarov | Semi-automatic pistol | ||
| Uzi | Sub-machinegun | ||
| AKM AKM The AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an upgraded version of the AK-47 rifle and was developed in the 1950s.... |
Assault rifle | ||
| RPD RPD The RPD is a 7.62mm light machine gun developed in the Soviet Union by Vasily Degtyaryov for the intermediate 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge. It was created as a replacement for the DP machine gun chambered for the 7.62x54mmR Mosin rifle round... |
Light machinegun | ||
| PK PK machine gun The PK is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia. The PK machine gun was introduced in the 1960s and replaced the SGM and RPD machine guns in Soviet service... |
Light machinegun | ||
| DShK DShK The DShK 1938 is a Soviet heavy machine gun firing the 12.7x108mm cartridge. The weapon was also used as a heavy infantry machine gun, in which case it was frequently deployed with a two-wheeled mounting and a single-sheet armour-plate shield... |
Heavy machinegun | ||
| RPG-7 RPG-7 The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company... |
Rocket propelled grenade | ||
| Kornet-E | Anti-tank guided missile | Russian KBP contracted to deliver 80 Kornet-E launchers. |
Armored fighting vehicles
| Name | Type | Quantity | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-55A | Main battle tank | 150 | 120 T-55As were ordered in 2004 from Bulgaria and delivered in 2005 (the vehicles were previously in Bulgarian service) | |
| BMP-1 BMP-1 The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty 1 , meaning "infantry fighting vehicle". The BMP-1 was the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle... |
Infantry fighting vehicle | ???? | / | Eritrea is believed to have received some from Ethiopia. |
| BTR-60PB BTR-60 The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers. It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen first time in public in 1961... |
Armored personnel carrier | 10 | ||
| BM-27 "Uragan" | Multiple rocket launcher | 9 | Transferred from Belarus to Eritrea in 2007. | |
| M-46 130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46) The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 M1954 is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954... |
Towed howitzer | 30 | Acquired from Bulgaria in 1999. |
Air defense
| Name | Type | Quantity | Origins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" ZSU-23-4 The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" is a lightly armored, self-propelled, radar guided anti-aircraft weapon system . ZSU stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka , meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount". The "23" signifies the bore diameter in millimeters. The "4" signifies the number of gun barrels. It... |
Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun | 9 | ||
| 57 mm AZP S-60 57 mm AZP S-60 57 mm AZP S-60 ; literally: Automatic anti-aircraft gun S-60) is a Soviet towed, road-transportable, short- to medium-range, single-barrel anti-aircraft gun from the 1950s. The gun was extensively used in Warsaw Pact, Middle Eastern and South-East Asian countries.-History:In the late 1940s, the... |
Anti-aircraft gun | 12 | ||
| 9K38 "Igla" | Shoulder launched surface-to-air missile | 50 | Some of these have been traced to Islamist group that shot down Belarussian cargo aircraft as it was departing from Mogadishu International Airport. |
Current issues
Since liberation, and the selection of Sebhat EphremSebhat Ephrem
Sebhat Ephrem is the Minister of Defence for Eritrea, and former Eritrean People's Liberation Front commander during the Eritrean War of Independence....
as Minister of Defence, the Eritrean army has experienced a major transformation. During this period the EPLA saw many cuts into its force in an effort to professionalize the force.
During, and since, the Eritrean-Ethiopian War
Eritrean-Ethiopian War
The Eritrean–Ethiopian War took place from May 1998 to June 2000 between Ethiopia and Eritrea, forming one of the conflicts in the Horn of Africa...
the army has exploded in size from its peacetime size of between 20,000-50,000 to 250,000.