| Kuwait National Guard | |
|---|---|
| الحرس الوطني الكويتي | |
 Kuwait National Guard | |
| Active | 1967; 58 years ago (1967) |
| Country |  Kuwait |
| Type | Paramilitary Gendarmerie Reserve army Border guard |
| Role | Expeditionary warfare Special operations Special reconnaissance Counterterrorism Border control |
| Size | Approx. 70,000 personnel |
| Part of | Kuwait Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Kuwait |
| Nickname(s) | His Highness Elite |
| Motto(s) | الله والوطن والامير God, Country & The Emir |
| Colors | Green & Yellow |
| Anniversaries | National and Liberation Day (25 and 26 February) |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| His Highness National Guard Commander | Vacant |
The Kuwait National Guard (KNG) (Arabic: الحرس الوطني الكويتي) is a paramilitary and gendarmerie branch of the Kuwait Armed Forces. The National Guard is an independent combat institution and traces its heritage directly to the cavalrymen and infantrymen that defended Kuwait's three mounted defensive walls. Since its inception, the Kuwait National Guard under the guidance of the respective leadership; executed, participated in, and supported carrying out all conflicts in which the Kuwait Armed Forces have engaged since 1967.
Creation and patron
The founding of the Kuwait National Guard was first conceived during the Six-Day War and following the outcomes of Operation Vantage when Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was the Crown Prince of Kuwait through the 2nd decree of 1967 on June 6 during the reign of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah. A mission for this purpose was led by Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah, who was the driving force in forming the various task forces within the National Guard and who has remained at the head of the institution since its enacting in 1967.
Leadership
National Guard Commander
| # | Name | Title | Tenure | Note | Picture |
| 1 | Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah | His Highness Commander of Kuwait National Guard | 1967–2024 | Most senior serving member and Chieftain dean of the House of Sabah |
Deputy National Guard Commanders
| # | Name | Rank | Tenure | Note | Picture |
| 1 | Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | Deputy National Guard Commander | 1994–2003 | The Crown Prince of Kuwait (2006–2020) The Emir of Kuwait (2020–2023) |
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| 2 | Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | Deputy National Guard Commander | 2004–2020 | The Crown Prince of Kuwait (2020–2023) Emir of Kuwait (2023–present) |
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| 3 | Ahmed Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah | Deputy National Guard Commander | 2020–2022 | Prime Minister of Kuwait (2022–2023) |  |
| 4 | Faisal Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah | Deputy National Guard Commander | 2022–present | Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior (2021–2022) |  |
History
50th Anniversary of the Kuwait National Guard
In June 2017, the Kuwait National Guard commemorated their 50th Anniversary Golden jubilee under the leadership of the Commander-in-chief, the Emir of Kuwait, and directives of Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah.
Ranks
- Officers
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Kuwait National Guard |
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| فريق أول Fariq 'awal |
فريق Fariq |
لواء Liwa |
عميد Amid |
عقيد Aqid |
مقدم Muqaddam |
رائد Ra'id |
نقيب Naqib |
ملازم أول Mulazim awwal |
ملازم Mulazim | |||||||||||||||
- Enlisted
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Kuwait National Guard |
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No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| وكيل أول Wakil 'awal |
وكيل Wakil |
رقيب أول Raqib 'awal |
رقیب Raqib |
عريف Earif |
جندي أول Jundiun awwal |
جندي Jundiun | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Equipment
Armored Fighting Vehicles
| Name | Type | Quantity | Country of origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pandur | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 150 | Austria | 70 in 6 versions.some with 90mm cockerill turret First entered service 1997 (produced by AV Technology)
80 Pandur II with a 25mm Bushmaster turret |
| Desert Chameleon | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 20 | United States | 6×6 APC with 30 mm cannon. First entered service 2011 |
| Condor (APC) | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 8 | West Germany | Kuwait owns the advanced version (Condor II) |
| Shorland S600 | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 22 | United Kingdom | 22 in 5 versions (APC, CPV, ambulance, crowd control and mortar carrier) |
| Véhicule Blindé Léger | Armoured Personnel Carrier | 97 | France | |
| Humvee | Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle | 2,300 | United States | Vehicles sold via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. |
| Sherpa light Scout | Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle | 3,000 | France | 1,000 Sherpas sold to Kuwait National Guard in 2015 Sherpa Scouts sold to the Kuwaiti military in 2016 under a €270 m contract. |
References
- ^ Archived 4 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine Kuwait National Guard Mission Statement and History; (Arabic Read)
- Kuwait National Guard Archives, Early Defense Cavaly & Infantry led by Sheikh Abdullah Jaber Al-Abdullah II Al-Sabah; (Arabic Read)
- Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Kuwait National Guard Archives, Early Defense Cavalry & Infantry led by His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
- Kuwait National Guard Archives; His Highness Sheikh Jaber Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
- Kuwait National Guard Archives, Old and New, His Highness Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah
- ^ "- KUWAIT NATIONAL GUARD - الحرس الوطني الكويتي -". Kuwait National Guard. Archived from the original on 16 July 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2015. (Arabic Read)
- ^ Archived 3 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine Profile & Accomplishments of Kuwait National Guard Commander; His Highness Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah; (Arabic Read)
- Kuwait National Guard Archives, Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah and Sheikh Abdullah Jaber Al-Abdullah II Al-Sabah with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
- Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Kuwait National Guard Archives, His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah with His Royal Highness Mutaib bin Abdullah in 2001; Retrieved March 7, 2015
- Kuwait National Guard Archives; His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (Arabic Read)
- ^ "Profile & Accomplishments of Kuwait National Guard Deputy Commander and acting Minister by Government Protocol; His Excellency Sheikh Meshal Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah" (in Arabic). Kuwait National Guard. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "KUNA : Kuwait cabinet fills leadership roles across state bodies - General - 07/11/2022". www.kuna.net.kw. Retrieved 7 November 2022.