Moldovan Ground Forces
| Moldovan Ground Force | |
|---|---|
| Romanian:Forțele Terestre ale Republicii Moldova | |
 Moldovan Ground Forces flag | |
| Founded | 25 December 2008 |
| Country |  Moldova |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Land warfare |
| Size | 4,000 |
| Part of | National Army |
| Headquarters | Chișinău |
| Nickname(s) | Moldovan Army |
| March | Marș de Întîmpinare «La Mulți ani» |
| Engagements | Transnistria War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Brigadier General Mihail Buclis |
TheMoldovan Ground Forces,known officially asLand Forces Commandis theland armed-forcesbranch of theNational Armyof theMoldovan Armed Forces.The Moldovan Ground Forces date back to thedissolution of the Soviet Unionbetween 1991 and 1992. As of 2018[update]the Moldovan Ground Forces consists of around 4,000 personnel.[citation needed]
History
[edit]
At the beginning of 1994, the Moldovan army (under the Ministry of Defense) consisted of 9,800 men organized into three motorized infantry brigades, one artillery brigade, and one reconnaissance/assault battalion. Its equipment consisted of fifty-sixballistic missiledefenses; seventy-sevenarmored personnel carriersand sixty-seven "look-alikes;" eighteen 122 mm and fifty-three 152 mm towedartilleryunits; nine 120 mm combined guns/mortars;seventyAT-4 Spigot,nineteenAT-5 Spandrel,and twenty-sevenAT-6 Spiralanti-tankguided weapons; a 73 mmSPG-9recoilless launcher, forty-fiveMT-12100 mm anti-tank guns; and thirtyZU-2323 mm and twelveS-6057 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 fromRomania,particularly at the height of the fighting with Transnistria.
By 2006–2007, 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 44BMD-1AIFV, and 266 APCs, including 91 TAB-71s, as well as 227 artillery pieces.[1]The modern Land Forces Command was established on 25 December 2008.[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 44BMD-1P infantry fighting vehicles, 164APCs(100 wheeled, including 89 RomanianTAB-71Ms, and 64 tracked, BTRs andMT-LBs), 148 artillery pieces (69 towed, 92S9self-propelled guns, and 11 "Urugan" multiple rocket launchers); 117Anti-tank missiles(Soviet-built AT-4s, AT-5s, and AT-6s), 138+recoilless guns,36 towed antitank guns and 37 towed anti-aircraft guns (23mm and 57mm).[3]
Structure
[edit]
- Infantry Units:
- Artillery Division "Prut" –Ungheni
- Independent Engineer Battalion "Codru"–Negrești, Strășeni
- Independent Radio Regiment "Basarabia" –Durleşti,Chișinău
- Independent Special Forces Battalion "Fulger"–Durlești,Chișinău
- Independent Chemical Protection Company –Negrești, Strășeni
- Guard Battalion[4]– Chișinău
- Ceremonial Honour Guard Company
- Guard Company
- Military Police Company
- General Staff Company
- Auto Company
- Insurance Company
- 1st Independent Battalion of Peacekeepers –Cocieri,Dubăsari District
- 3rd Independent Battalion of Peacekeepers – Coșnița,Dubăsari District
- Independent Infantry Company of Peacekeepers –Varnița, Anenii Noi
Gallery
[edit]-
Moldovan forces during the Rapid Trident 2011. -
The2nd Motorized Infantry Brigade "Stefan Cel Mare"on parade. -
-
Moldovan soldier training for mine prodding -
MoldovanHMMWV.
Equipment
[edit]Most of the Moldovan equipment dates back to Soviet times, as expressed byAnatolie Nosatîi,theMinister of Defense.[5]In 2023, as part of the National Army Modernization Initiative, Moldova started receivingPiranha IIIH armoured personnel carriers fromGermany.[6]Other modern equipment such asdrones,laptops, surveillanceradars,andexplosive ordnance disposalequipment was donated by theEU,[7]while Romania also provided helmets, bulletproof vests, andoff-road vehicles.[8]
See also
[edit]- Trupele de Carabinieri(Gendarmerie-type force of the Republic of Moldova)
References
[edit]- ^Routledge/IISS,IISSMilitary Balance 2007, p.170
- ^"Ministry of Defense of Republic of Moldova".
- ^International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance 2010, p.188.
- ^"Ministerul Apărării al Republicii Moldova".
- ^"Defense Minister Says 90 Percent Of Moldova's Military Equipment Is Outdated".Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.21 October 2022.
- ^"Germany begins deliveries of Danish Piranha 3 APCs to Moldova".defbrief.com.15 January 2023.
- ^"EU hands over first batch of modern equipment to Moldovan armed forces".euneighbourseast.eu.1 June 2023.
- ^Radu Dumitrescu (9 August 2023)."Romania donates military protection equipment to Moldova".romania-insider.com.