Tunisian Army: Difference between revisions

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{{more footnotes|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = Tunisian Army
| native_name = {{lang|ar|جيش البر التونسي}}
| image = شعار أركان جيش البر، تونس.svg
| image_size = 150px
| caption = Seal of the Tunisian Land Army
| start_date = 1831
| country = {{TUN}}
| allegiance =
| branch =
| type =
|type=
| role =
|role=
| size = 90,000-45,000 active personnel and 20,000-60,000 reserves (estimation)
| command_structure = [[Tunisian Armed Forces]]
| garrison = [[Tunis]]
| garrison_label = HQ
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| nickname = TAF
| patron =
| motto =
| colors =
| colors_label =
| march =
| mascot =
| battles = [[French conquest of Tunisia]]<br />[[Bizerte crisis|Bizerte Crisis]]<br />[[Yom Kippur War]]<br>[[1980 Gafsa Uprising]]<br />[[Battle of Wazzin]]<br />[[Chaambi Operations]]<br/>[[Battle of Ben Guerdane]]
| anniversaries =
| decorations =
| battle_honours = <!-- Commanders -->
| current_commander = General [[Mohamed El Ghoul]]
<!-- Commanders -->
| current_commander_label = Commander
|current_commander= General [[Mohamed El Ghoul]]
| ceremonial_chief =
|current_commander_label= Commander
| ceremonial_chief_label =
|ceremonial_chief=
|ceremonial_chief_label=
}}
 
The '''Tunisian Land Army''' ({{lang-langx|ar|جيش البر التونسي|Jaîsh el-Barr et'Tunsi}}, {{lang-langx|fr|Armée de terre tunisienne}}) is the ground component of the [[Tunisian Armed Forces]] . The Land Forces Command is located in [[Bizerte]]. The TAF itself was created on June 30, 1956.
 
The Land Army is the largest service branch within the Tunisian Armed Forces and has a dominant presence in the current General Staff. It is estimated to number around 90,000, in addition to 60,000 reservists for a total of 150,000 strong.
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The modern Tunisian army was formed in 1831 by [[Al-Husayn II ibn Mahmud]].
 
The first battalions of the regular modern Tunisian army were created at the same time as the reform of the Ottoman army and after the French conquest of Algeria in 1830.<ref>{{cite book|first=Gabriele|last=Esposito|page=36|title=Ottoman Armies 1820-1914|ISBN=978-1-4728-5537-4}}</ref>
 
At the initiative of Minister of Hussein Bey II, Mamluk Shakir Saheb Ettabaâ, a battalion of TunisiansTunisian infantry was established in Tunis in January 1831. The next year, another battalion was raised, composed mainly of Sahelians and based in Sousse. Soldiers and officers were trained, equipped and dressed in European fashion, like the first regiments of the Ottoman army after the reforms of Sultan Mahmud II which followed the removal of the [[Janissary|Janissary Corps. Ahmed Bey I built on the initial reforms of the reign of his uncle, Hussein Bey II and initiated more extensive changes in both the Tunisian army and state]].
 
Ahmed Bey I built on the initial reforms of the reign of his uncle, Hussein Bey II and initiated more extensive changes in both the Tunisian army and state. The former changes included the raising of Tunisia's first regular cavalry regiment in 1838, the opening of a military academy in 1840 and the creation of four conscript based regiments of infantry by 1842. Four artillery units were organised between 1838 and 1847, to be brigaded with the conscripted infantry.<ref>{{cite book|first=Gabriele|last=Esposito|page=36|title=Ottoman Armies 1820-1914|ISBN=978-1-4728-5537-4}}</ref>
 
====Early structure====
By 1855 the Tunisian army was divided into 7 infantry brigades spread throughout the country as listed below. Each was under the command of an ''Amir Liwa'' (Brigadier-General). From 1864 an ''Amir Oumar'' (General of Division was appointed). The numbers of each brigade varies from 1 000 to 2 000 men at different times.
 
* 1<sup>st</sup>1st brigade permanently stationed in Tunis since 1831;
* 2<sup>nd</sup>2nd Brigade based in Sousse since 1832;
* 3<sup>rd</sup>3rd Brigade based in [[Monastir, Tunisia|Monastir]];
* 4<sup>th</sup>4th Brigade based in Kairouan;
* 5<sup>th</sup>5th Brigade: formed part of the ''mhalla'' (a bi-annual mobile military column that was deployed through the back country of Tunisia);
* 6<sup>th</sup>6th Brigade : formed part of the ''mhalla'';
* 7<sup>th</sup>7th Brigade based in El Ghar Melh (Porto Farina).
 
Also available from 1835 to 1860 were 4 artillery brigades (''topjiya'') of 1000 men each, distributed as follows:
 
* 1<sup>st</sup>1st Brigade in Tunis and Bardo since 1831;
* 2<sup>nd</sup>2nd Brigade at La Goulette;
* 3<sup>rd</sup>3rd Brigade distributed in the forts of the country (mainly Bizerte, Monastir, Sfax, Sousse Tabarka);
* 4<sup>th</sup>4th Brigade distributed in the high country.
 
The Army also had several Tunisian irregular regiments made up of Berber tribal levies (or ''Zouaoua mkhaznia'') spread across the country. The full strength of these irregular units reached up to 40,000 infantry and cavalry. They were based mainly in barracks at Kef, Nefza and Tunis, and were commanded by Turkish Mamluks. When the need for a regular cavalry regiment ([[spahis]]) arose, Ahmed Bey I created one regiment in 1850, based in Manouba.
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1,545 Tunisian soldiers have received United Nations medals for serving a minimum of 90 days as members of one or another United Nations peacekeeping missions.
 
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 TunsianTunisian civilian being injured by a Libyan rocket.
 
In October 2016, a British Short Term Training Team of 40 troops provided operational planning, intelligence, surveillance, and patrolling training to about 200 Tunisian personnel of the Tunisian 1st Infantry Brigade, to help Tunisia to better guard their land borders.<ref>Jane's Defence Weekly, 22 November 2016.</ref> The training, provided under the auspices of the [[4th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)]], involved theoretical and practical exercises.
 
== Army command and organisation ==
Following the [[Tunisian Revolution]], the army strength increased up to 8090,000 men in order to face the new security challenges.
However the organisation remains mainly the same compared to the pre-revolution one. Most noticed change is the adding of an Intervention Battalion in each of the three mechanized infantry Brigade. These new battalions mostly focused on anti-terror fighting was seen during 61st army anniversary parade<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvdPSGTFLhA&feature=emb_logo</ref>
 
Main Tunisian Army formations are as follows :
[[File:Tunisian Army OOB.png|thumb|right|700px|Structure of the Tunisian Army 2020]]
 
* ''' 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade ([[Gabès]], South East)'''
** 11th Mechanized infantry battalion (using [[M113 armored personnel carrier|M113 APC]] and BMC Kirpi)
** 12th Mechanized infantry battalion (using [[Fiat 6614|Otobreda 6614]] and BMC Kirpi)
** Tank battalion (using [[M60 tank]])
** Intervention battalion
** Motorized intervention battalion (using [[Jeep J8 LPV]] and Humvee)
** Field artillery battalion (using [[M198 howitzer]])
** 51st Anti-air Artillery battalion (using [[MIM-72 Chaparral|M-48 Chaparral]] and RBS 70)
** ''Reconnaissance company (using [[Panhard_AML#AML-90|AML-90]] and Ejder Yalçin)''
** ''Anti-tank company (using [[BGM-71 TOW]] and [[MILAN]])''
* '''2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade ([[Béja]], North)'''
 
** '''2nd13th Mechanized Infantryinfantry Brigade ([[Béja]], North West)'''battalion
** 13th14th Mechanized infantry battalion (using [[M113 armored personnel carrier|M113 APC]] and BMC Kirpi)
** Tank battalion
** 14th Mechanized infantry battalion (using [[Fiat 6614|Otobreda 6614]] and BMC Kirpi)
** TankIntervention battalion (using [[SK-105 Kürassier]])
** MotorizedField interventionartillery battalion (using [[Humvee]])
** Field52nd artilleryAnti-air Artillery battalion (using [[M198 howitzer]])
** ''Reconnaissance company''
** 52nd Anti-air Artillery battalion (using [[MIM-72 Chaparral|M-48 Chaparral]] and RBS 70)
** ''Anti-tank company''
** ''Reconnaissance company (using [[Panhard_AML#AML-90|AML-90]] and Ejder Yalçin)''
** ''Anti-tank company (using [[BGM-71 TOW]] and [[MILAN]])''
 
* '''3rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade ([[Kairouan]], Center)'''
** 15th Mechanized infantry battalion (using [[M113 armored personnel carrier|M113 APC]] and BMC Kirpi)
** 16th Mechanized infantry battalion (using [[Fiat 6614|Otobreda 6614]] and BMC Kirpi)
** Tank battalion (using [[M60 tank]])
** Motorized interventionIntervention battalion (using Humvee)
** Field artillery battalion (using [[M198 howitzer]])
** 53rd Anti-air Artillery battalion (using [[MIM-72 Chaparral|M-48 Chaparral]] and RBS 70)
** ''Reconnaissance company (using [[Panhard_AML#AML-90|AML-90]] and Ejder Yalçin)''
** ''Anti-tank company (using [[BGM-71 TOW]] and [[MILAN]])''
* '''Saharian Territory Forces Group'''
 
* '''[[Groupe des Forces Spéciales|Special Forces Group]]'''
* '''Saharian territory forces group (South West)'''
* '''Police Military Group ([[Tunis]], Capital)'''
** 1st Regiment of Saharian territory infantry ([[Remada]], Extreme South, using [[Ejder Ejder|Ejder Yalçın]], Jeep J8 LPV, Humvee and Toyota Land Cruiser)
* '''Engineer Group'''
** 2ns Regiment of Saharian territory infantry ([[Kebili]], South West, using Ejder Yalçin, Humvee, Jeep J8 LPV and [[Toyota Land Cruiser (J70)|Toyota Land Cruiser ]])
* '''Signal Group'''
 
* '''Logistic Support Group'''
* '''Army Special forces Group, [[Groupe des Forces Spéciales|S.F.G]] (El Aouina, Capital suburbs)'''
* '''Police Military Group ([[Tunis]], Capital)'''
* '''Armored Engineer battalion ([[Kairouan]], center)'''
 
== Ranks ==
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{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/Tunisia}}
|}
 
 
==Equipment==
{{main|List of equipment of the Tunisian Army}}
 
== References ==
{{reflistReflist}}
 
{{Tunisia topics}}