Congolese People's Army

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The Congolese People's Army (French: Armée Populaire Congolais) is the branch of the Congolese armed forces tasked with the land defense of the nation. The army comprises the majority of the military's personnel and also receives the highest budget and the best standard of training. While the army is relatively well-equipped and trained, its combat effectiveness remains the subject of speculation, as it has never participated in offensive operations before. Some Western analysts report that the senior leadership is heavily biased in favor of the President's family and tribe, and that a system of patronage ensures that advancement is based on loyalty rather than merit, but scant evidence exists to support or refute these claims. The army, like the other components of the armed forces, is modelled largely on Soviet lines, and the vast majority of its equipment originates from the Eastern bloc.

Contents

Units

Active

  • 2 motor rifle divisions
  • 1 tank division
  • 3 airborne regiments
  • 3 airmobile regiments
  • 5 special forces battalions
  • 8 independent tank battalions

Reserve

  • 3 motor rifle brigades
  • 1 tank brigade

Equipment

Individual weapons

  • Makarov PM 9mm pistol
  • AK-47 7.62mm assault rifle
  • AK-74 5.45mm assault rifle
  • AKS-74U 5.45mm carbine
  • PP-19 Bizon 9mm submachine gun
  • RPK 7.62mm light machine gun
  • PK 7.62mm general purpose machine gun
  • DShK 12.7mm heavy machine gun
  • Dragunov 7.62mm sniper rifle
  • AGS-17 30mm automatic grenade launcher
  • RPG-7 40mm rocket launcher

Armored vehicles

  • T-72 main battle tank
    • T-72A: Added side skirts, additional armor, laser range-finder, electronic fire control system, smoke grenade launchers.
    • T-72B: Thicker armor, composite armor in front of turret and front of hull. AT-11 "Svir" laser-guided antitank missile capability.
    • T-72AV, T-72BV: models with early Kontakt explosive reactive armour ("V" for vzryvnoi ‘explosive’).
    • T-72B1: T-72B without ATGM capability.
    • T-72BK: Command version of T-72B, recognizable by having multiple radio antennas.
    • T-72B(M): T-72B equipped with advanced Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor, composite armor in sides of turret as well.
  • T-62 main battle tank
    • T-62A, Objekt 165: Armed with 100mm D-54TS gun, with "Kometa" two plane stabilizer.
    • T-62K, Objekt 166K: Additional R-112 radio, AB-1 APU. 36 x 115mm rounds, 1750 rounds for a coaxial PKT.
    • T-62K, Objekt 166KN: Fitted with additional TNA-2 navigation aids.
    • T-62D, Objekt 166D: 1030M "Drozd" Active Protection System (APS) installed.
    • T-62D-1, Objekt 166D-1: Fitted with a new V-46-5M engine.
    • T-62M, Objekt 166M: Extensive modernization of the T-62 with improvements in protection, fire control and mobility.
      • T-62M-1, Objekt 166M-1: A T-62M still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
      • T-62M1, Objekt 166M1: A T-62M without missile capability.
      • T-62M1-1, Objekt 166M1-1: A T-62M still fitted with V-46-5M engine and without missile capability.
      • T-62M1-2, Objekt 166M1-2: A T-62M without missile capability and BDD armor package.
      • T-62M1-2-1, Objekt 166M1-2-1: A T-62M1-2 still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
      • T-62MD (1983) Objekt 166MD: T-62M version with "Drozd" APS instead of additional turret armor.
      • T-62MD-1,Objekt 166MD-1: T-62MD still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
      • T-62MK, Objekt 166MK: Command version, no missile guidance but with TNA-2 navigation aids, additional R-112 radio and AB-1 auxilliary engine to power additional radios. Less main gun and coaxial machine-gun ammunition is carried.
      • T-62MK-1, Objekt 166MK-1: T-62 MK still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
      • T-62MV, Objekt 166MV: K-1 explosive reactive armor (ERA) instead of additional armor, the V in the designation stands for vzryvnoi, explosive.
      • T-62MV-1, Objekt 166MV-1: T-62 MV still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
      • T-62M1V, Objekt 166M1V: T-62 MV without missile capability.
      • T-62M1V-1, Objekt 166M1V-1: T-62 MV without missile capability and still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
  • T-55 main battle tank
    • OT-55: Flame-thrower tank.
    • MT-55A: Bridge-layer tank.
    • T-54-T: Armored recovery vehicle.
    • VT-55A: Armored recovery vehicle.
    • ZSU-57-2: Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG); significant changes from T-54 such as much thinner armor and one less road wheel, with a new turret.
  • PT-76 light tank
    • PT-76 Model 1: D-56T gun (multi-slotted muzzle brake).
    • PT-76 Model 2: D-56TM gun (double-baffle muzzle brake and bore evacuator).
    • PT-76 Model 3: D-56TM gun (double-baffle muzzle brake only).
    • PT-76B, or Model 4: A stabilized D-56TS gun.
  • BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle
  • BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle
    • BRM-1 or BMP-R: Reconnaissance variant.
    • BRM-1K: Reconnaissance command vehicle, has "Tall Mike" surveillance radar. One assigned per recce company.
    • BMP KShM: Command variant; typically used at regimental level.
    • BMP-1P: AT-4 Spigot ATGM.
    • BMP-1PK: Command variant of BMP-1P.
    • PRP-3: "Mobile reconnaissance post", used for artillery fire direction; includes a counterbattery/surveillance radar. One is assigned to an artillery battalion.
  • MT-LB armored personnel carrier
    • MT-LBU: Command vehicle with additional radios, land nav, and fold-out canvas tent.
    • MTP-LB: Repair version with no turret, an A frame and stowage on the roof.
    • TT-LB M1975: Fitted with folding SNAR-10 Big Fred artillery/mortar locating radar.
    • MT-LBu: Reconnaissance version.
    • MT-LBus: VHF jamming vehicle. Fitted with R-330P VHF jammer.
    • MT-LBT: Artillery tractor version.
    • MT-LB Ambulance: with stretchers in rear compartment.
    • MT-LB Engineer: Stowage on the roof and a blade at the back.
    • RKhM: Chemical reconnaissance vehicle.
  • BTR-70 armored personnel carrier
    • BTR-70 M1986/1: Modernized version with an improved turret, smoke mortars and better armor protection.
    • BTR-70Kh: Chemical reconnaissance vehicle, designed to detonate artillery shells with proximity fuze detonators.
    • BTR-70MS: Communications variant.
    • BTR-70KShM: Command and control variant, designed to be used as a mobile command post.
    • BREM: Armored recovery vehicle. Essentially a BTR-70 with a crane replacing the turret.
  • BTR-152 armored personnel carrier
    • BTR-152A: Air defense or ground support vehicle, armed with double (ZPTU-2) or quadruple (ZPTU-4) KPV 14.5mm machine gun.
    • BTR-152S: Command vehicle.
    • BTR-152B: Has front-mounted winch.
    • BTR-152V: Variant based on ZIL-157 truck with adjustable tire pressure system.
      • BTR-152D: Armament as BTR-152A, but based on BTR-152V.
    • BTR-152V1: Received night vision equipment and improved tires pressure regulation system.
      • BTR-152V2: BTR-152 vehicles rebuilt to V1 standard.
      • BTR-152V3: BTR-152V vehicles rebuilt to V1 standard.
      • BTR-152U: Command vehicle based on BTR-152V1.
      • BTR-152E: Armament as BTR-152A, but based on BTR-152V1.
    • BTR-152K: Aeceived armored roof. The weight of the vehicle reached 9 tons, the crew was down to 2+13.
  • BRDM-2 armored reconnaissance vehicle
  • ASU-85 airborne self-propelled gun
  • Sprut anti-tank gun
    • Sprut-B 2A45M: Self-propelled anti-tank gun.
    • Sprut-SD 2S25:: A self propelled gun mounted on the BMD-3 chassis with a turret mounting the stabilised 2A75 125mm smoothbore gun.
  • ZSU-23-4 air defense vehicle
  • 9K35 Strela-10 air defense vehicle

Support vehicles

  • UAZ-469 light utility vehicle
  • UAZ-469B light utility vehicle
  • GAZ-3937 "Vodnik" light utility vehicle
  • GAZ-33097 2-ton truck
  • ZIL-131 3.5 ton truck
  • Ural-43206 4.5-ton truck
  • Ural-4320 5-ton truck
  • KAMAZ-43101 6-ton truck
  • ZIL-135 9-ton truck
  • Ural-5323 10-ton truck
  • MAZ-543 20-ton truck
    • TMM-6 Heavy Bridge-Building System
  • MAZ-543 tractor
  • URAL-5423 tractor

Artillery

  • 2S3 Akatsiya 152mm self-propelled howitzer
  • 2S1 Gvozdika 122mm self-propelled howitzer
  • D-30 120mm howitzer
  • 2A36 152mm gun
  • BM-21 122mm multiple-launch rocket system
  • BM-27 220mm multiple-launch rocket system
  • BM-30 Smerch 300mm multiple-launch rocket system
  • 2B14 Podnos 82mm mortar
  • 2S23 120mm self-propelled mortar

Missiles

  • 9K37M1-2 Buk-M1-2 surface-to-air missile
  • 9K38 Igla surface-to-air missile
  • 9M311 Tunguska surface-to-air missile
  • 9К115-2 Metis-M anti-tank missile
  • 9M133 Kornet anti-tank missile
  • 9M123 Khrizantema anti-tank missile

Aircraft

  • Mil Mi-26 heavy transport helicopter
  • Mil Mi-24 attack helicopter
  • Mil Mi-8 transport helicopter
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