ABSTRACT
Kuwait faces unique challenges in utilizing these arms orders and rebuilding its military forces. When the Gulf War began, Kuwait's total army manpower was less than 16,000 men. The Kuwaiti army had a massive $100 million military complex about twenty miles from Kuwait City. These facilities, owed more to political convenience than strategy, and an effort to maintain high living standards rather than military effectiveness. Kuwait was just beginning to create a real navy when Iraq invaded. The core of the Kuwait navy consisted of eight Lurssen guided missile patrol boats. Two of these boats were FPB-57s, and six were TNC-45s. Kuwait's 2,200 man air force was slowly improving its effectiveness. The air force had roughly 70 combat aircraft and 18 armed helicopters. Finally, Kuwait had separate National Guards, Palace Guards, and Border Guards, which were equipped with a total of 20 V-150 and 62 V-300 Commando armored personnel carriers.
