Wikipedia

List of equipment of the Ethiopian Army

This is a list of equipment used by the Ethiopian Ground Forces.

Small arms

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Name Image Caliber Type Origin Notes
Pistols
PM[1] 9×18mm Semi-automatic pistol Soviet Union Standard issue pistol
CZ 52[2] 7.62×25mm Semi-automatic pistol Czechoslovakia
Submachine guns
MAB 38[1] 9×19mm SMG Italy
PPS-43[1] 7.62×25mm SMG Soviet Union
Poland
China
Uzi[1] 9×19mm SMG Israel
Shotguns
Schermuly Multi-Purpose Gun 37mm Riot gun United Kingdom
Ethiopia		 Manufactured locally by Gafat Armament Engineering Complex
Rifles
ET-97/1[1] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle Soviet Union
Ethiopia		 Manufactured locally by Gafat Armament Engineering Complex
ET-97/2[3] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle Soviet Union
Ethiopia		 Manufactured locally by Gafat Armament Engineering Complex
KL-133[4] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle Russia
Iran
Ethiopia		 Manufactured locally by Gafat Armament Engineering Complex
Vz. 58[1] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle Czechoslovakia
Type 56[1] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle China
GAFAT-1[5] 7.62×39mm Assault rifle North Korea
Ethiopia		 Manufactured locally by Gafat Armament Engineering Complex
IWI Tavor[6] 5.56×45mm Bullpup
Assault rifle		 Israel
CAR 816 5.56×45mm Carbine UAE Used by the Ethiopian Republican Guard[7]
M14[1] 7.62×51mm Battle rifle United States
Beretta BM 59[1] 7.62×51mm Battle rifle Italy
Heckler & Koch G3 7.62×51mm Battle rifle Germany
FN Model 1949[8] 7.62×51mm Battle rifle Belgium
Vz. 52[8] 7.62×45mm Semi-automatic rifle Czechoslovakia
SKS[1] 7.62×39mm Semi-automatic rifle Soviet Union
Machine guns
Browning M1918
FN Mle 30[1]		 .30-06 Springfield
7.65×53mm		 LMG United States
Belgium
RP-46[1] 7.62×54mmR LMG Soviet Union
RPD[1] 7.62×39mm LMG Soviet Union
RPK[1] 7.62×39mm LMG Soviet Union
PKM[9] 7.62×54mmR GPMG Soviet Union
Ethiopia		 Manufactured locally by Gafat Armament Engineering Complex
KPV 14.5×114mm HMG Soviet Union
DShK[1] 12.7×108mm HMG Soviet Union
M2 Browning[1] .50 BMG HMG United States
Sniper rifles
PSL[10] 7.62×54mmR DMR
Sniper rifle		 Romania
Grenade launchers
M79[1] 40×46mm Grenade launcher United States
QLZ-87[1] 35×32mm Automatic grenade launcher China
Ethiopia

Anti-tank weapons

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Anti-tank guided missiles

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Recoilless rifles

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Name Image Type Origin Caliber
B-10[13] Recoilless rifle Soviet Union 82mm
B-11[14] Recoilless rifle Soviet Union 107mm

Rocket propelled grenade launchers

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Name Image Type Origin Caliber Notes
RPG-7[1] RPG Soviet Union
Ethiopia		 40mm Manufactured locally by Gafat Armament Engineering Complex

Vehicles

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Tanks

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
T-72[12] MBT Soviet Union
Ukraine		 221 50 T-72B (bought from Yemen), 171 T-72UA1
T-54/T-55[12] MBT Soviet Union
Israel		 1,190
  • 200 T-54A
  • 940 T-55A
  • 20 T-55MB
  • 30 Tiran-5
T-62[12] MBT Soviet Union 120

Reconnaissance

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
Cadillac V-150[15] Armored car United States 12
Ze'ev[12] Armored car Israel
Ethiopia		 75

Infantry fighting vehicles

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
BMP-1[12] IFV Soviet Union 20

Scout cars

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Armored personnel carriers

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
BTR-60[12] APC Soviet Union 560
Type 92[12] APC China 20
WZ-523[12] APC China 20
ZSD-89[12] APC China 10
ACMAT Bastion[16] APC France 12
Gaia Thunder[12] IMV Israel 75
Calidus MCAV-20[17] IMV UAE 100+

Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
KamAZ-53949 Typhoon-K[18] MRAP Russia Unknown

Engineering vehicles

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
VT-55A ARV Soviet Union
Czechoslovakia		 Unknown
BTS-5B[12] ARV Ukraine 4
Bozena-5 Mine clearing vehicle Slovakia Unknown[12]

Armoured vehicle-launched bridges

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
MTU-12[19] AVLB Soviet Union Unknown
GQL-111 AVLB China Unknown

Utility vehicles

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Artillery

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
Self-propelled artillery
2S1 Gvozdika[12] Self-propelled artillery Soviet Union 82
2S19 Msta-S[12] Self-propelled artillery Soviet Union 10
PLZ-45[12] Self-propelled artillery China 18 Delivered in 1999
SH-15[21][22] Self-propelled artillery China 32
Rocket artillery
BM-21 Grad[12] MLRS Soviet Union 50
Type 63 MRL China
Ethiopia		 25 Manufactured modernization by Gafat Armament Engineering Complex
PHL-03[23] MLRS China 4
Mortars
BM-37[12] Mortar Soviet Union Unknown
M1[12] Mortar United States Unknown
M19[12] Mortar United States Unknown
M29[12] Mortar United States Unknown
M30[12] Mortar United States Unknown
Field artillery
Type 56[12] Field gun Soviet Union
China		 Unknown
M-46 Field gun Soviet Union
Ethiopia		 114 Manufactured modernization by Gafat Armament Engineering Complex
M-30[12] Howitzer Soviet Union 464
2A18 D-30[12] Howitzer Soviet Union
Ethiopia		 309 Manufactured modernization by Gafat Armament Engineering Complex

Air defense

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Man-portable air-defense systems

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Towed anti-aircraft guns

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Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
ZSU-23-4 Shilka[24] SPAAG Soviet Union 60

Surface-to-air missile systems

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
S-75M3 Volkhov[25] SAM Soviet Union 4 1st division
S-125M1 Pechora-M1[12] SAM Soviet Union 4 1st division
Pantsir-S1[26] SAM Russia 6
HQ-64[15] SAM China 1
SPYDER[27] SAM Israel 2

Electronic Warfare

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
Kolchuga-M Electronic warfare Soviet Union
Ukraine		 3
1RL257E Krasukha-4 Electronic warfare Russia Unknown Delivered by Russia in 2023

Radar Vehicles

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Name Image Type Origin Quantity Notes
P-18 Radar Soviet Union 1
ST-68U Radar Soviet Union 13

Historical equipment

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Sidearms

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Rifles

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Submachine gun

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Machine guns

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Anti tank weapons

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Tanks

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Tankettes

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Infantry fighting vehicles

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Armored personnel carriers

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Self-propelled artillery

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Field artillery

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Mortars

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Multiple rocket launchers

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Anti-aircraft artillery

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Surface-to-air missile systems

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
  2. ↑ Hogg, Ian V., ed. (1 January 1988). Jane's Infantry Weapons, 1988-89. Jane's Information Group. p. 768. ISBN 978-0-7106-0857-4.
  3. ↑ Rottman, Gordon (24 May 2011). The AK-47: Kalashnikov-series assault rifles. Osprey Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-84908-835-0.
  4. ↑ "North Korea and Ethiopia, brothers in arms | NK News". 4 September 2014. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-30.
  5. ↑ Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (2020). The Armed Forces of North Korea: On the Path of Songun. Helion and Company. p. 24. ISBN 978-1910777145.
  6. ↑ Binnie, Jeremy; de Cherisey, Erwan (2017). "New-model African armies" (PDF). Jane's. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 June 2017.
  7. ↑ Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (4 October 2021). "Emirati Small Arms in Ethiopia". Oryx Blog. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Jardim, Frank (2022-08-01). "Royal Tiger Imports Ethiopian Arms". GUNS Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  9. ↑ Small Arms Survey (2007). "Probing the Grey Area: Irresponsible Small Arms Transfers" (PDF). The Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City. Cambridge University Press. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-521-88039-8. Archived from the original on 2018-08-27. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  10. ↑ Miranda, Miguel (14 June 2018). "Africa's Forgotten War". History of War. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 International Institute for Strategic Studies (2022). The Military Balance 2022. Abingdon, Oxon. p. 470. ISBN 978-1032279008.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 International Institute for Strategic Studies (2021). The Military Balance. Taylor & Francis. p. 465. ISBN 9781032012278.
  13. ↑
  14. ↑ Military Balance 2016, p. 445.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Trade Registers". SIPRI Arms Transfers Database. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  16. ↑ "United States ordered Acmat Bastion APCs for African partners". defenceweb.co.za. 13 October 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  17. ↑ "Global Defense News Army Land Forces 2024". www.armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  18. ↑ "Russia Sends Mine-Resistant Typhoon-K Armored Vehicles to Ethiopia, OSINT Shows". UNITED24 Media. 2026-02-16. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  19. ↑ Military Balance 2022, p.435
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Annex C Appendix II". US Army Technical Manual of Foreign Military Sales: Battlefield Damage Assessment and Repair (PDF). Washington, D.C. 18 December 1987. p. 262. TM 9-2320-356-BD. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2013.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  21. ↑ "Ethiopia displays new SH15 howitzers". Archived from the original on March 22, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Ethiopia Acquires Dozens of Chinese Wheeled Howitzers". 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Trade Registers". armstrade.sipri.org.
  24. ↑ "ZSU-23-4". Jane's Information Group. 30 October 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  25. ↑ The Military Balance 2022, p.470
  26. ↑ Military Balance 2022, p.470
  27. ↑ "Concerns mount in Egypt as Israel boosts ties with Ethiopia". Aw. 20 July 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  28. ↑ Shant Christopheer. Infantry weapons: an encyclopedia of small arms. — M.: Omega, 2004. ISBN 5-465-00279-4
  29. 1 2 McLachlan, Sean (20 September 2011). Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896: The Italian Disaster in Ethiopia. Men-at-Arms 471. Osprey Publishing. pp. 36, 44. ISBN 9781849084574.
  30. ↑ "Mannlicher 1888/90 Ethiopian "Cut-Down" Rifles". Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  31. ↑ Keefe, Mark A. (15 July 2020). "Emperor Selassie's Treasure: The Guns of Royal Tiger Imports". American Rifleman. National Rifle Association. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  32. ↑ Scarlata, Paul (Mar 1, 2009). "Ethiopian military rifle cartridges: Part 2: from Mauser to Kalashnikov". Shotgun News.
  33. ↑ Г. В. Цыпкин, В. С. Ягья. История Эфиопии в новое и новейшее время. М.: «Наука», 1989. стр. 111
  34. ↑ "Ethiopian Cut Down Russian Berdan Rifles". Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  35. ↑ Tsypkin G. V. Эфиопия в антиколониальных войнах [Ethiopia in the anti-colonial wars]. Moscow: Nauka, 1988. p. 217. ISBN 5-02-016406-2.
  36. ↑ McCollum, Ian (19 February 2020). "A Unique Partnership: Czech Mausers for Ethiopia after WWII". www.forgottenweapons.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  37. ↑ McCollum, Ian (26 February 2020). "Last of the Czech Mausers: the East German TGF1950 Goes to Ethiopia". www.forgottenweapons.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  38. ↑ Г. В. Цыпкин, В. С. Ягья. История Эфиопии в новое и новейшее время. М.: «Наука», 1989. стр. 217
  39. ↑ McLachlan 2011, p. 35.
  40. ↑ PANKHURST, RICHARD (1971). "Linguistic and Cultural Data on the Penetration of Fire-Arms into Ethiopia". Journal of Ethiopian Studies. 9 (1): 47–82. ISSN 0304-2243. JSTOR 41965823.
  41. ↑ Ball 2011, pp. 131–132.
  42. ↑ Scarlata, Paul (1 Mar 2009). "Ethiopian military rifle cartridges: Part 2: from Mauser to Kalashnikov". Shotgun News.
  43. ↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic; Jimma University; Addis Ababa University; University of West Bohemia; Embassy of the Czech Republic in Addis Ababa. "The 20th Century Revisited: Relations between former Czechoslovakia and Ethiopia" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-03-28. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  44. ↑ Ezell 1988, p. 143.
  45. ↑ "The Revelli-Beretta Model 1918 Automatic Carbine – Small Arms Review". 2022-09-20. Archived from the original on 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
  46. ↑ Chris Bishop (2002). The Encyclopedia of Weapons of WWII: The Comprehensive Guide to over 1,500 Weapons Systems, Including Tanks, Small Arms, Warplanes, Artillery, Ships, and Submarines. pp. 253, 259. ISBN 978-1586637620.
  47. ↑ "ROYAL TIGER IMPORTS ETHIOPIAN ARMS". August 2022.
  48. ↑ Smith 1969, p. 342.
  49. ↑ "Aiming Machine Gun". Hulton Archive. 29 August 1935 – via Getty Images.
  50. ↑ Jenzen-Jones, N.R. (30 September 2018). "Ethiopian .30-06, 7.62 × 51 mm & 7.92 × 57 mm cartridges". armamentresearch.com.
  51. ↑ Ezell 1988, p. 145.
  52. ↑ Grant 2013, p. 65.
  53. ↑ "ZB VZ 30". iwm.org.uk. Imperial War Museum.
  54. ↑ Zaloga 2003, p. 22.
  55. ↑ "Ethiopia Somalia Ogaden War 1976-1978". Onwar.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  56. ↑ Захваченные итальянские танки под охраной абиссинских часовых // Танки. Справочник Хейгль. / ред. — сост. О. Хакер, Р. Икс, О. Меркер и Г. Цецшвиц. Часть II Государства от G до Z. Перевод с немецкого, предисловие, специальная редакция и примечания Б. Шванебаха. 2-е изд. М., Государственное военное издательство наркомата обороны СССР, 1937. стр.329
  57. ↑ Zaloga 2002.
  58. ↑ Foss 2011, p. 637.
  59. ↑ Nicolle, David (15 October 1997). The Italian Invasion of Abyssinia 1935–36. Men-at-Arms. Vol. 309. Osprey Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-85532-692-7.
  60. ↑ "105/14 Model 56 105 mm Pack Howitzer". forecastinternational.com. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  61. ↑ International Institute for Strategic Studies (2012). "Chapter Nine: Sub-Saharan Africa". The Military Balance. 112 (1): 434. doi:10.1080/04597222.2012.663218. S2CID 219628672.
  62. ↑ "Ethiopians in the Korean War: WWII gear used". wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com. 18 August 2016.[self-published source]
  63. ↑ "Боевая машина БМД-20 (индекс 8У33)" (in Russian). Ракетная техника. Archived from the original on 2012-05-18. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  64. ↑ Василий Н. Я., Гуринович А. Л., Зенитные ракетные комплексы, стр. 231
  65. ↑ O'Halloran & Foss 2002, p. 147.
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