Tunisian Armed Forces
Tunisian Armed Forces seal
القوات المسلحة التونسية
Armoiries Forces armées tunisiennes.svg
Founded 1956
Service branches Land Army
Navy
Air Force
Headquarters Ministry of National Defence
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief Pres. Fouad Mebazaa
Minister of National Defense Abdelkarim Zbidi
Chief of staff Rachid Ammar
Manpower
Active personnel 45,000
Deployed personnel Unknown number in UN Missions
Expenditures
Percent of GDP 1.6%

The Tunisian Armed Forces (Arabic: القوات المسلحة التونسية‎) consist of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

As of 2008, Tunisia had an army of 27,000 personnel equipped with 84 main battle tanks and 48 light tanks. The navy numbered 4,800 operating 25 patrol boats and 6 other craft. The air force had 4,000 personnel, 27 combat aircraft and 43 helicopters. Paramilitary forces consisted of a 12,000-member national guard.[1] Tunisia has participated in peacekeeping efforts in the DROC and Ethiopia/Eritrea.[2] Previous United Nations peacekeeping deployments for the Tunisian armed forces have included Cambodia (UNTAC), Namibia (UNTAG), Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi and the 1960s mission in the Congo, ONUC.

Contents

History

Tunisian artillery and gunners, circa 1900

The modern Tunisian Army had its origins in the time of the French Protectorate (1881–1956). During this period, Tunisians were recruited in significant numbers into the French Army, serving as tirailleurs (infantry) and spahis (cavalry). These units saw active service in Europe during both World Wars, as well as in Indo-China prior to 1954. The only exclusively Tunisian military force permitted under French rule was the Beylical Guard.[3]

The Tunisian National Army was established in 1956, at the time of independence. It initially comprised about 1,300 officers and men transferred from French Army service, plus 850 former members of the Beylical Guard. Approximately 4,000 Tunisian soldiers continued in French Army service until 1958, when the majority transferred to the Tunisian Army, which reached a strength of over 6,000 that year. The Tunisian Navy was created in 1959 and the Tunisian Air Force in 1960.

In 1960 Tunisian troops served with the United National Peacekeeping Force in the Congo. In 1961 clashes occurred with French forces based at Bizerte. The French evacuated the base after subsequent negotiations with the Tunisian Government.

Tunisia has contributed military forces to United Nations peacekeeping missions, including an army company to UNAMIR during the Rwandan Genocide. In his book Shake Hands with the Devil, Canadian force commander Roméo Dallaire gave the Tunisian soldiers high credit for their work and effort in the conflict and referred to them as his "ace in the hole".

During the 2011 Libyan Civil War, Tunisian forces, mostly border guards, saw some limited action when fighting between Libyan rebels and loyalist soldiers spilled over the border and clashes ensued between the Libyan Army and the Tunisian Army, resulting in at least one Tunsian civilian being injured by a Libyan rocket. [4]

Army equipment

Small arms

Artillery

Heavy mortars

Anti-tank weapons

Anti-aircraft weapons

Tanks

ARVs

APC/IFVs

Logistics and engineering equipment

AFV transporters

Utility vehicles

Radar

  • 2 RASIT DRPT ground surveillance radar  France

Other equipment

Air Force equipment

Main article: Tunisian Air Force

Combat aircraft

Jet training/light attack aircraft

Training/COIN piston-engined aircraft

Liaison aircraft

Transport aircraft

Attack helicopters

Naval attack/search and rescue helicopters

Medium transport helicopters

Light transport helicopters

  • 2 SNIAS AS-355 Ecureuil-II  France
  • 12 SNIAS AS-350B Ecureuil  France
  • 8 SNIAS AS-316B Alouette-III  France
  • 7 SNIAS AS-313 Alouette-II  France

UAVs

Main Topic Tunisian UAV

Missiles

Radar

Military airfields

  • Bizerte(Sidi-Ahmad)
  • Gabes
  • Gafsa
  • Sfax

Navy equipment

MFPBs

  • 3 Combattante-III-M class(with 8xMM-40 SSMs,1x76mm Gun,2x40mm Guns,4x30mm Guns) France
  • 6 Type-143 Lurssen Albatros class (with 4xMM-38 SSMs,1xRAM-21 SAM,1x76mm Gun,Mine Laying Capability) Germany
  • 3-4 P-48 Bizerte class(with 8xSS-12M SSMs,4x37mm Guns) France

Gun frigates

  • 1 Savage class(1200\1490ton,19 knots,2x3inch Guns,2x20mm Guns) United States-OUT OF SERVICE

ASW vessels

  • 1 Le-Fougeux class Corvette(325\400ton,18.5 knots,2xAnti-Submarine Mortars,1x76mm Gun,2x40mm Guns) France (out of service)

Minesweepers

Gun boats

  • 3-5 Modified Hazhui\Shanghai-II class(128 ft,30 knots,4x37mm Guns,4x25mm Guns) China
  • 4 Javier Quiroga(Barcleo)class(1x40mm,1x20mm,2x12.7mm HMG) Spain-ON ORDER TBD

Patrol boats

  • 4 Ch.Navals De Lestrel 31.5m class(104 ft,30 knots,2x20mm Guns) France
  • 6 Ch.Navals De Lestrel 25m(83 ft,23 knots,1x20mm) France
  • 5 Bremse class (22.6m,2x14.5mm HMGs) Germany[5]
  • 11 Socomena class(20.5m,1x12.7mm HMG)
  • 4 Gabes class(12.9m,2x12.7mm HMGs)
  • 4 Rodman-38 class(11.6m) Spain
  • 1 Barcelo class(36.2m,1x40mm Gun,1x20mm Gun,2x12.7mm HMGs)
  • 2 Lurssen(Type unknown) Germany-ON ORDER TBD
  • 2 Vosper Thornycroft 103 ft class(27 knota,2x20mm Guns) United Kingdom-OUT OF SERVICE
  • 4 Tazarka class(with 2x20mm Guns) France

Landing craft

Auxiliary vessels

Missiles

ASW Torpedo

Naval bases

Defense production

Tunisia has developed the ability to produce 20 meter-long patrol boats with assistance from South Korea.[citation needed]

Weapons of mass destruction

No known nuclear activity. Signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

No known chemical weapons activity. Party to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

No known biological weapons activity. Party to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).

References

  1. ^ The Military Balance 2008, Routledge ISBN 978-1-857-43461-3
  2. ^ Tunisia - Armed forces
  3. ^ "World Armies, John Keegan, ISBN 0-333-172366-1
  4. ^ http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE73S00320110429?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel
  5. ^ Dienstschiffe Typ GSB 23

External links

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