The following is a list of active equipment of the Somali Armed Forces. Retired equipment is listed at the bottom.
Small arms Name Image Caliber Type Origin Notes Rifles AKM 7.62×39mm Assault rifle AK-74 5.45×39mm Assault rifle Used by National Intelligence and Security Agency special forces Gaashaan and Waran, and Danab commandos. AK-74M 5.45×39mm Assault rifle Used by NISA special forces Gaashaan and Waran, and Danab commandos. Vz. 58 7.62×39mm Assault rifle PM md. 63 7.62×39mm Assault rifle AK-63 7.62×39mm Assault rifle Zastava M70 7.62×39mm Assault rifle Type 56 7.62×39mm Assault rifle MG37.62×51mmGeneral purpose machine gun MPT-76 7.62×51mm Battle rifle 450 delivered. M16Jane's Special Forces Recognition Guide, Ewen Southby-Tailyour (2005) p. 446. 5.56×45mm Assault rifle M4A1 5.56×45mm CarbineAssault rifle Used by Special Forces. Heckler & Koch G3 7.62×51mm Battle rifle Used by the Danab Brigade and the "Gorgor" Brigade, also used by Camp TURKSOM NCOs and officer cadets. SKS-45 Simonov 7.62×39mm Semi-automatic rifle Used for ceremonial purposes by the Presidential Guard. Sniper rifles SVD 7.62×54mmR Designated marksman rifleSniper rifle Machine guns RP-46 7.62×54mmR Light machine gun SG-43 7.62×54mmR Medium machine gun Browning M1919 7.62×51mm Medium machine gun KPV 14.5×114mm Heavy machine gun DShK Alt URL 12.7×108mm Heavy machine gun RPD 7.62×39mm Squad automatic weapon PKM 7.62×54mmR General-purpose machine gun Zastava M84 7.62×54mmR General-purpose machine gun Rocket propelled grenade launchers RPG-2 40mm Rocket-propelled grenade RPG-7 40mm Rocket-propelled grenade Grenade launchers AGS-17 30×29mm Grenade launcher
Among pistols formerly reported in service in 2009 were the Soviet Makarov pistol.
Tanks +ModelImageOriginQuantityDetailsM48 UnknownDelivered by Turkey in February 2026.M60 UnknownDelivered by Turkey in February 2026.M-84AC3 17Soon to be delivered by Serbia.
Armoured fighting vehicles ModelImageOriginQuantityDetailsAPC (W)ACV-15n/aAT-105 Saxon25+Bastion13Fiat 6614n/aPPVKirpi20Puma M366RG-31 Nyalan/aCasspirn/aMamba Mk59+MAV-5n/aAUVTiger 4×412
Mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles Name Image Type Origin Quantity StatusNotesBMC Kirpi IIMine-resistant ambush protected vehicleN/AStreit TornadoMine-resistant ambush protected vehicle/Armoured personnel carrierN/ASeen in military convoy.
Armoured personnel carriers Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status NotesStreit SpartanArmoured personnel carrierN/ASeen in military convoy.
Utility vehicles Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status NotesToyota Land CruiserUtility vehicle10Donated by Turkey.Mitsubishi TritonUtility vehicle26+Donated by Turkey. Trucks M939 Utility truck UnknownBMC 245-16P 4x4Utility truck14Donated by Turkey.Iveco 4x4Utility truck3+Donated by Turkey.
In May 2020, the Somalia's Security Sector Reform twitter account posted a number of pictures of Japanese Toyota 4Runner which had been used to promote COVID-19 awareness.
Aircraft In 2024, Italy supplied Somalia with four Bell 412 utility helicopters, "marking the most significant delivery of military equipment since the lifting of the arms embargo imposed on Somalia". The United Nations Support Office for Somalia has supported the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia to acquire three helicopters from Burundi.
In addition to aircraft operated by the Somali Armed Forces, the National Intelligence and Security Agency operates Bayraktar TB2 drones.
On November 3, 2025, "Garowe Online" carried a report quoting unnamed Turkish officials about the presence of Turkish-built T129 ATAK attack helicopters in Somalia. The officials commented after repeated reports on social media that Somalia had taken ownership of the T129 attack helicopters.See also They said the aircraft seen at the ceremony remained under Turkish control; were not part of the Somali National Army's inventory; and were used for training and operational purposes by Turkish personnel stationed in Somalia.
+NameImageTypeOriginQuantityStatusNotesUnmanned aerial vehiclesBayraktar AkinciUCAV2Bayraktar TB2UCAV5HelicoptersBell 205 / Bell 412Utility helicopter6Initial reports as above indicated four Bell 412s; it appears from the difference between two-bladed and four-bladed that this was in error. Total appears to be at least 6, including 4 Bell 205As and two Bell 412s.
Radar Vehicles NameImageTypeOriginQuantityNotesALP100GRadar1
Boats Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes ONUK MRTP 16 Patrol boat Unknown Grand boats RIB Rigid inflatable boat Unknown
Individual equipment +ModelOriginImageTypeNotesHelmetsFASTCombat helmetUtilised by Commando Brigade, donated from Turkey.Camouflage PatternsDesert Battle Dress UniformCamouflage patternBought from the U.S. in the 1980s.
Retired equipment
Among firearms associated with the Somali National Army and reported by Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/10 were Soviet TT pistols, British Sterling submachine guns; German Heckler & Koch G3 and Belgian FN FAL assault rifles, U.S. M14 rifles, Soviet RPD machine guns; Soviet RPK machine guns; Soviet RP-46 machine guns; French AA-52 machine guns; Belgian FN MAG machine guns; Soviet DShK heavy machine guns; U.S. M2 Browning .50 cal heavy machine guns; and U.S. M79 grenade launchers and Soviet RPG-2 grenade launchers.
After independence, the Somali National Army initially inherited five Comet tanks, six Ferret armoured cars and eighteen Universal Carrier machine-gun carriers from withdrawing British forces.Robinson, Colin D. "Glimpse into an army at its peak: notes on the Somali National Army in the 1960–80s" Oct. 23, 2019 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14751798.2019.1675944
Previous arms acquisitions included the following equipment, much of which was unserviceable circa June 1989: 293 main battle tanks (30 Centurions; 123 M47 Patton, 30 T-34, 110 T-54/55 from various sources). Christopher F. Foss, writing in the second edition of Jane's Main Battle Tanks said that 'Kuwait was believed to have supplied Somalia with about 35 Centurions.' The Military Balance 1987–88 (p. 112) listed 30 Centurions held by the Somali Army.
Other armoured fighting vehicles included 10 M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks, 30 BRDM-2 and 15 Panhard AML-90 armored cars (formerly owned by Saudi Arabia). The IISS estimated in 1989 that there were 474 armoured personnel carriers, including 64 BTR-40/BTR-50/BTR-60, 100 BTR-152 wheeled armored personnel carriers, 310 Fiat 6614 and 6616s, and that BMR-600s had been reported. SIPRI also reported BTR-70s had been sold to Somalia. The IISS estimated that there were 210 towed artillery pieces (8 M-1944 100 mm, 100 M-56 105 mm, 84 M-1938 122 mm, and 18 M198 155 mm towed howitzers). Other equipment reported by the IISS included 82 mm and 120 mm mortars, 100 Milan and BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missiles, rocket launchers, recoilless rifles, and a variety of Soviet air defence guns of 20 mm, 23 mm, 37 mm, 40 mm, 57 mm, and 100 mm calibre. SIPRI also reported that 9K32 Strela-2 air defence missiles had been transferred.
In addition, U.S. M151 trucks had been sold to Somalia by December 1987.
IISS Military Balance 2022 lists only armoured personnel carriers and utility vehicles.
Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes BRDM-2 Amphibious armored scout car Unknown ZU-23-2Military Balance 2017 Autocannon Unknown
Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes Rocket artillery BM-21 Grad Multiple rocket launcher Unknown
References
Bibliography