Arab Army

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الجيش العربي
Arab Army
Palestinian Army chevron.jpeg
Active 1958–present
Country UAR flag.png Arab Union
Type Army
Role Land warfare
Size • 1,309,118 active personnel
• 1,446,330 reserve personnel
• 288,430 civilian personnel
• 3,043,878 total personnel
Military age 18–49
Conscription All males upon reaching 19 years of age; may volunteer to serve at age 18. Obligatory service length is 30 months.
Part of PAF button.png Union Defence Forces
Garrison/HQ Ain Shams Armoury, Nasseria
Colours Green, white, red
Engagements 1958–68 Anti-Unionist War
1967 Six-Day War
1986–89 Arab Revolutionary War
1990–91 Persian Gulf War
2011–19 Arab Winter
COMMANDERS
Commander-in-chief President Bashar al-Assad
Minister of Defence Roman Kindi
Chief of staff Abdul Rahman Khan
INSIGNIA
Flag Arab Army flag.png

The Arab Army (Arabic: الجيش العربي al-jaysh al-‘arabī) is the regular ground force of the Arab Union, by far the largest of the three service branches of the Union Defence Forces.

The Arab Army is by far the largest service of the armed forces in terms of manpower, and also commands the largest reserve force in the nation, whose personnel may be deployed on active duty during wartime. Field Marshal Abdul Rahman Khan has been Chief of Staff of the Army since 2009.

Conscription, which was reintroduced in 2011, mandates all males 30 months' worth of service, typically lasting three years, with either a contiguous two-month off-service vacation home or two one-month off-service vacations home each year. Honourably discharged conscriptees are encouraged to remain in the armed forces, frequently offered pathways to officerhood or if already part of the officer corps, to promotion. After the 30 months is served and terminated with an honourable discharge, however, conscriptees are free to go at their own will.

The Arab Union federal government typically initiates legal action (charges of desertion) to conscriptees who either fail to show up for basic training or who desert their ranks before their 30-month period is up. This is generally handled by the Military Police Directorate, an agency of the Ministry of Defence, and tried by military courts.

Ranks[edit | edit source]

Commissioned[edit | edit source]

Code Rank Arabic Insignia
OF-10 Field marshal فريق
farīq
Rank field marshal.png
OF-9 General عماد أول
‘imād awwal
Rank general.png
OF-8 Lieutenant general عماد
‘imād
Rank lieutenant general.png
OF-7 Major general لواء
liwā’
Rank major general.png
OF-6 Brigadier general عميد
‘amīd
Rank brigadier general.png
OF-5 Colonel عقيد
‘aqīd
Rank colonel.png
OF-4 Lieutenant colonel مقدم
muqaddam
Rank lieutenant colonel.png
OF-3 Major رائد
rā’id
Rank major.png
OF-2 Captain نقيب
naqīb
Rank captain.png
OF-1 First lieutenant






Lieutenant
ملازم أول
mulāzim awwal






ملازم
mulāzim
Rank first lieutenant.png
Rank lieutenant.png

Enlisted[edit | edit source]

Code Rank Arabic Insignia
OR-9 Warrant officer 1st class



Warrant officer 2nd class
مساعد أول
musā‘id awwal



مساعد ثاني
musā‘id thānī
Rank warrant 1.png
Rank warrant 2.png
OR-8 Warrant officer 3rd class مساعد
musā‘id
Rank warrant 3.png
OR-7 no equivalent
OR-6 Staff sergeant رقيب أول
raqīb awwal
Rank staff sergeant.png
OR-5 Sergeant رقيب
raqīb
Rank sergeant.png
OR-4 Corporal عريف
‘arīf
Rank corporal.png
OR-3 no equivalent
OR-2 Private 1st class جندي أول
jundī awwal
Rank private 1.png
OR-1 Private جندي
jundī
Rank private.png

Structure[edit | edit source]

  • corps (فيلق faylaq): up to 50,000 soldiers in 2 to 3 divisions
  • division (فرقة firqah): 11,000 to 20,000 soldiers in 3 to 5 brigades
  • brigade (لواء liwā): 3500 to 5000 soldiers in 2 to 3 regiments
    • mechanized: 100 to 150 infantry fighting vehicles; 3,500 soldiers in 2 to 3 regiments
    • armoured: 100 to 150 tanks; 2000 to 2,500 soldiers in 2 to 3 regiments
  • regiment (فوج fawj): 1,500 soldiers in 3 to 5 battalions
  • battalion (كتيبة katībah): 300 to 500 soldiers in 5 companies
  • company (سرية sariyah): 60 to 100 soldiers

Units reporting to Chief of Staff[edit | edit source]

  • Republican Guard
    • 100th Presidential Guards Brigade
      • 150th Security Regiment
      • 151st Security Regiment
      • 133rd Airborne Regiment
    • 102nd Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment
    • 103rd Artillery Brigade
      • 104th Artillery Regiment
      • 105th Infantry Regiment
    • 106th Airborne Regiment
    • 107th Commando Regiment
    • 108th Logistical Support Regiment
    • 109th Ordnance Regiment
    • 110th Armoured Brigade
      • 114th Armoured Regiment
      • 115th Mechanized Regiment
    • 138th Motorized Rifle Regiment
    • 139th Motorized Rifle Regiment
  • 16th Special Forces Division
    • 160th Special Forces Brigade
      • 165th Commando Regiment
      • 166th Airborne Regiment
      • 167th Airborne Regiment
    • 180th Special Forces Brigade
      • 185th Commando Regiment
      • 186th Commando Regiment
      • 188th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment
    • 190th Mechanized Brigade
      • 191st Mechanized Regiment
      • 195th Mechanized Regiment
      • 196th Armoured Regiment
  • 18th Special Forces Division
    • 202nd Special Forces Brigade
      • 203rd Commando Regiment
      • 204th Airborne Regiment
    • 20th Artillery Brigade
      • 122nd Artillery Regiment
      • 123rd Artillery Regiment
    • 101st Shock Brigade
      • 62nd Armoured Regiment
      • 63rd Airborne Regiment
      • 140th Motorized Rifle Regiment

1st Corps[edit | edit source]

Standard-issue fatigues from ca. 2013
  • 10th Armoured Division
    • 111th Armoured Brigade
      • 116th Armoured Regiment
      • 117th Armoured Regiment
      • 199th Mechanized Regiment
    • 120th Armoured Brigade
      • 125th Armoured Regiment
      • 126th Mechanized Regiment
    • 150th Mechanized Brigade
      • 155th Mechanized Regiment
      • 156th Mechanized Regiment
    • 122nd Motorized Rifle Brigade
      • 128th Motorized Rifle Regiment
      • 129th Motorized Rifle Regiment
      • 119th Airborne Regiment
  • 11th Mechanized Division
    • 56th Mechanized Brigade
      • 260th Mechanized Regiment
      • 265th Mechanized Regiment
    • 58th Mechanized Brigade
      • 280th Mechanized Regiment
      • 112th Armoured Regiment
      • 87th Artillery Regiment
    • 44th Armoured Brigade
      • 290th Armoured Regiment
      • 291st Armoured Regiment
  • 12th Combat Engineers Division
    • 24th Engineers Brigade
      • 240th Engineers Regiment
      • 245th Logistical Support Regiment
    • 25th Engineers Brigade
      • 250th Engineers Regiment
      • 264th Engineers Regiment
      • 148th Logistical Support Regiment

2nd Corps[edit | edit source]

Basic training graduates of 1st corps ca. 2010
  • 20th Mechanized Division
    • 66th Mechanized Brigade
      • 201st Mechanized Regiment
      • 202nd Mechanized Regiment
      • 177th Infantry Regiment
    • 85th Mechanized Brigade
      • 123rd Mechanized Regiment
      • 124th Mechanized Regiment
      • 82nd Artillery Regiment
    • 86th Armoured Brigade
      • 88th Armoured Regiment
      • 136th Mechanized Regiment
  • 25th Mechanized Division
    • 200th Mechanized Brigade
      • 205th Mechanized Regiment
      • 206th Mechanized Regiment
      • 208th Artillery Regiment
    • 30th Infantry Brigade
      • 32nd Infantry Regiment
      • 34th Infantry Regiment
  • 35th Armoured Division
    • 305th Armoured Brigade
      • 55th Armoured Regiment
      • 60th Mechanized Regiment
    • 306th Infantry Brigade
      • 61st Infantry Regiment
      • 65th Infantry Regiment
      • 66th Artillery Regiment

3rd Corps[edit | edit source]

T-1 battle tanks of 44th Armoured Brigade
  • 13th Mechanized Division
    • 130th Mechanized Brigade
      • 131st Mechanized Regiment
      • 132nd Armoured Regiment
    • 14th Mechanized Brigade
      • 143rd Mechanized Regiment
      • 144th Mechanized Regiment
      • 209th Artillery Regiment
    • 15th Infantry Brigade
      • 91st Infantry Regiment
      • 92nd Infantry Regiment
  • 300th Armoured Division
    • 301st Armoured Brigade
      • 301st Armoured Regiment
      • 366th Mechanized Regiment
    • 302nd Mechanized Brigade
      • 145th Mechanized Regiment
      • 146th Artillery Regiment
    • 303rd Infantry Brigade
      • 68th Infantry Regiment
      • 69th Infantry Regiment

4th Corps[edit | edit source]

  • 40th Armoured Division
    • 45th Armoured Brigade
      • 453rd Armoured Regiment
      • 454th Mechanized Regiment
    • 46th Mechanized Brigade
      • 460th Mechanized Brigade
      • 466th Artillery Brigade
      • 467th Artillery Brigade
  • 50th Infantry Division
    • 500th Infantry Brigade
      • 501st Infantry Regiment
      • 502nd Infantry Regiment
      • 515th Artillery Regiment
    • 550th Motorized Rifle Brigade
      • 551st Motorized Rifle Regiment
      • 554th Motorized Rifle Regiment
      • 555th Commando Regiment
    • 51st Infantry Brigade
      • 511th Infantry Regiment
      • 516th Artillery Regiment

Reserves[edit | edit source]

There are three separate reserve forces from which the Arab Army may draw additional manpower when the manpower of regular forces' has been exhausted. The Arab Army Primary Reserve is the largest and most well-trained of the three reserve forces, and always the first to be called upon. There are also the Secondary Reserve and the Tertiary Reserve, which are each approximately half the size of the Primary Reserve and which do not receive the same level of military training.

All reserve forces are composed of personnel who generally maintain an occupation unrelated to the military, who meet on the weekend and during work holidays to train. Primary Reserve personnel train every Saturday and every fourth Sunday as well as most other available days away from their civilian occupation, whereas Secondary and Tertiary Reserve personnel only train one weekend per month (both days) and also partake in less training events. Nevertheless, if a reservist is called upon for active duty, they are legally obliged to be militarily available daily and thereby officially join the Arab Army proper. This only begins to happen when the manpower of the active duty Arab Army begins to be depleted amidst a major armed conflict.