Kuwait National Guard

The Kuwait National Guard (KNG) (Arabic: الحرس الوطني الكويتي) is a paramilitary and gendarmerie branch of the Kuwait Armed Forces.^[2] 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.^[3][4] 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.^[2]

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	1973 Samita border skirmish Yom Kippur War Iran–Iraq War Gulf War Invasion of Kuwait Operation Desert Storm Operation Southern Watch 1994 October Crisis Operation Desert Fox War on Terror Iraq War Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
Commanders
His Highness National Guard Commander	Mubarak Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah[1]

History

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^[5] 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.^[2] A mission for this purpose was led by Sheikh Salem Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah,^[6] 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.^[7][8]

Leadership

National Guard Commander

#	Name	Title	Tenure	Note	Picture
1	Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah[7][8][9]	His Highness Commander of Kuwait National Guard	1967–2024	Most senior serving member and Chieftain dean of the House of Sabah
2	Mubarak Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah	His Highness Commander of Kuwait National Guard	2024-Present	Senior ruling family member from the Jaber line

Deputy National Guard Commanders

#	Name	Rank	Tenure	Note	Picture
1	Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah[7][10][11]	Deputy National Guard Commander	1994–2003	The Crown Prince of Kuwait (2006–2020) The Emir of Kuwait (2020–2023)
2	Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah[7][12]	Deputy National Guard Commander	2004–2020	The Crown Prince of Kuwait (2020–2023)[7][12] Emir of Kuwait (2023–present)
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[13]	2022–present	Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior (2021–2022)

Golden Jubilee

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
Kuwait National Guard v t e
			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
Kuwait National Guard v t e																																			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[dead link]	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 also sold to the Kuwaiti military in 2016 under a €270 m contract.