Moldovan Ground Forces

Moldovan Ground Forces flag

The Moldovan Ground Forces is the land armed forces branch of the Moldovan Armed Forces. The Moldovan Ground Forces date back to the dissolution of the Soviet Union between 1991 and 1992. The Moldovan Ground Forces consisted of 3,250 personnel in 2014.[1]

History

At the beginning of 1994, the Moldovan army (under the Ministry of Defense) consisted of 9,800 men organized into three motor rifle brigades, one artillery brigade, and one reconnaissance/assault battalion. Its equipment consisted of fifty-six ballistic missile defenses; seventy-seven armored personnel carriers and sixty-seven "look-alikes;" eighteen 122 mm and fifty-three 152 mm towed artillery units; nine 120 mm combined guns/mortars; seventy AT-4 Spigot, nineteen AT-5 Spandrel, and twenty-seven AT-6 Spiral anti-tank guided weapons; a 73 mm SPG-9 recoilless launcher, forty-five MT-12 100 mm anti-tank guns; and thirty ZU-23 23 mm and twelve S-60 57 mm air defense guns. Moldova has received some arms from former Soviet stocks maintained on the territory of the republic as well as undetermined quantities of arms from Romania, particularly at the height of the fighting with Transnistria.

By 2006–7, the Army had been reduced to a strength of 5,710, including three motor rifle brigades, one artillery brigade, and independent SF and engineer battalions, plus an independent guard unit. Equipment included 44 BMD-1 AIFV, and 266 APCs, including 91 TAB-71s, as well as 227 artillery pieces.[2]

In 2010, the Army had been further reduced to 5,148 (3,176 professional soldiers and 1,981 conscripts) plus 2,379 paramilitary forces. The reserve force consists of 66,000 troops. Equipment included 44 AIFV, 164 APCs, 148 artillery pieces, 117 ATGMs, 138+ recoilless guns, 36 towed antitank guns and 37 towed anti-aircraft guns.

Current structure

Moldovan forces train in Ukraine during Rapid Trident 2011.
Moldovan forces during the Rapid Trident 2011.
Moldovan soldier training for mine prodding

Equipment

Infantry equipment Origin Type Versions In service Notes
SSh-68  Soviet Union Combat helmet Operational mainly regular army
PASGT  United States Combat helmet Operational mainly Special Forces and 22 Peacekeeping Battalion
STSh-81  Soviet Union Combat helmet Operational mainly Police Special Forces
MASKA-1  Soviet Union Combat helmet Operational mainly Police Special Forces
PMG  Soviet Union Gas Mask Operational
PG-1  Soviet Union Gas Mask Operational
Flak jacket  United States Body armor Operational mainly regular army
Interceptor body armor  United States Body armor Operational mainly Special Forces and 22 Peacekeeping Battalion
M81 Woodland  United States camouflage pattern Operational
Infantry firearms grenades or mines Origin Type Versions In service Notes
TT pistol  Soviet Union Semi-automatic pistol TT-33 Operational Regular Army
PM  Soviet Union Semi-automatic pistol Makarov PM Operational Regular Army, Special Forces, Police etc.
AK-74  Soviet Union Assault rifle AK-74, AKS-74, AKS-74U Operational Regular Army, Special Forces, Police etc.
AKM  Soviet Union Assault rifle AKM, AKMS Operational mainly Regular Army and Special Forces
Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965  Romania Assault rifle Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965 Operational mainly Regular Army and Police
PM md. 64  Romania Light machine gun PM md. 64 Operational mainly Regular Army
PK machine gun  Soviet Union General purpose machine gun PK Operational mainly Regular Army
RPK  Soviet Union Light machine gun RPK Operational mainly Regular Army
Dragunov SVD  Soviet Union Sniper rifle SVD Operational mainly Regular Army Special Forces and Police
PSL  Romania Sniper rifle PSL Operational mainly Regular Army Special Forces and Police
GP-25  Soviet Union Grenade launcher GP-25 Operational mainly Regular Army Special Forces and Police
RPG-7  Soviet Union Rocket-propelled grenade RPG-7 Operational mainly Regular Army Special Forces and Police
AG-7  Romania Rocket-propelled grenade AG-7 Operational mainly Regular Army Special Forces and Police
RPG-22  Soviet Union Rocket-propelled grenade RPG-22 Operational Regular Army and Special Forces
F1  Soviet Union Hand grenade F1 Operational Regular Army, Special Forces, Police
RGD-5  Soviet Union Hand grenade RGD-5 Operational Regular Army and Special Forces
MON-50  Soviet Union Anti-personnel mine MON-50 Operational Regular Army and Special Forces
TM-46  Soviet Union Anti-tank mine TM-46 Operational Regular Army and Special Forces
Zarya Stun Grenade  Soviet Union Stun grenаde Zarya Stun Grenade Operational Regular Army, Special Forces, Police
Infantry combat vehicle Origin Type Versions In service Notes
T-64  Soviet Union Main battle tank T-64BV 3 Operational (primarily for training purposes)
BMD-1  Soviet Union Infantry fighting vehicle BMD-1P 44[3] Operational
BTR-D  Soviet Union armoured personnel carrier BTR-D 9[3] Operational
BTR-80  Soviet Union Armoured personnel carrier BTR-80, ZS-88 11[3] (six of them are in service with Fulger police Brigade) Operational
BTR-70  Soviet Union Armoured personnel carrier BTR-70 5 (in security zone) Operational
BTR-60PB  Soviet Union Armoured personnel carrier R-145, 1V18, 1V19 48 Operational
HMMWV  United States Multi-purpose armoured vehicle 80 Operational
TAB  Romania Armoured personnel carrier TAB-71M 89 TAB-71M[3] Operational
MT-LB  Soviet Union multi-purpose fully amphibious armoured vehicle MT-LB-AT, RKhM, SNAR-10, 1L259; 55[3] Operational
BM-21 Grad  Soviet Union multiple rocket launcher BM-21 14 Operational
ATGM Origin Type Versions In service Notes
9K111 Fagot  Soviet Union ATGM 9K111 Fagot 71[3] Operational
BRDM-2  Soviet Union ATGM launcher vehicle 9P148 27 Inoperational, Stored
MT-LB  Soviet Union ATGM launcher vehicle 9P149 27 Inoperational, Stored
9K115 Metis  Soviet Union ATGM 9K115 Metis ? Operational
9M113 Konkurs  Soviet Union ATGM 9M113 19[3]
9K114 Shturm  Soviet Union ATGM 9K114 27[3]
Recoilless rifles Origin Type Versions In service Notes
SPG-9  Soviet Union Recoilless rifles SPG-9, AG-9 138+[3] Operational
Anti-tank guns Origin Type Versions In service Notes
T-12  Soviet Union Anti-tank guns MT-12 36[3] Operational
Artillery Origin Type Versions In service Notes
82 mm Model-1977  Romania Mortar M77 52[3] Operational
120 mm 2B11 Sani 120 mm mortar  Soviet Union Mortar 2B11 Sani 7[3] Operational
122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30)  Soviet Union Howitzer M1938 17[3] Inoperational, Stored
152 mm howitzer M1955  Soviet Union Towed howitzer D-20 31[3] Operational
152 mm 2A36  Soviet Union Towed howitzer 2A36 21[3] Operational, restored in 2011
120 mm 2S9 Nona  Soviet Union Self-propelled artillery 2S9 9[3] Operational, restored in 2011
220 mm 9P140  Soviet Union Multiple rocket launcher system 9P140 11[3] (munitions are destroyed only trucks remain) Restored, 2014
Air defence artillery Origin Type Versions In service Notes
23 mm ZU-23-2  Soviet Union Anti-aircraft gun Zu-23M 26[3] Operational, some mounted on BTR-D
57 mm S-60  Soviet Union Anti-aircraft gun 11[3]
Reconnaissance Origin Type Versions In service Notes
BMP-1  Soviet Union Artillery reconnaissance vehicle PRP-4 Nard 6 Inoperational, in storage
Surface-to-air missile Origin Type Versions In service Notes
S-125 Neva/Pechora  Soviet Union Surface-to-air missile system S-125 16 launchers Operational, active service
S-75 Dvina  Soviet Union Surface-to-air missile system S-75 3 launchers Inoperational, phased out
SA-5 Gammon  Soviet Union Surface-to-air missile system S-125 12 launchers Inoperational, phased out

References

  1. ↑ The IISS Military Balance 2014
  2. ↑ Routledge/IISS, IISS Military Balance 2007, p.170
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 IISS Military Balance 2010
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