'' , image= Flag of the Armed Forces of Moldova.svg , image_size = , caption = Moldovan Ground Forces flag , start_date = 25 December 2008 , country= , allegiance = , branch = , type =

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

, role = Land warfare , size = 4,000 , command_structure = National Army , garrison =

Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ), also known as Kishinev (russian: Кишинёв, r=Kishinjóv ), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial center, and is located in the ...

, garrison_label = Headquarters , nickname = Moldovan Army , patron = , motto = , colors = , colors_label = , march = Marș de Întîmpinare «La Mulți ani» , mascot = , notable_commanders =Brigadier General Mihail Buclis , current_commander = , current_commander_label = , equipment =

SSh-68 The SSh-68 (Russian: СШ-68 �тальной шлем образца 1968 года/stalnoy shlyem English: SSh-68 steel helmet model 1968) - is a steel combat helmet of the Soviet and then Russian Armed Forces. The SSh-68 is a further development ...

PASGT , equipment_label = , battles = Transnistria War , decorations = , battle_honours = , identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label = , identification_symbol_2 = , identification_symbol_2_label = The Moldovan Ground Forces, known officially as Land Forces Command is the land armed-forces branch of the National Army of the

Moldovan Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Moldova, Republic of Moldova ( ro, Forțele Armate ale Republicii Moldova) consist of the Moldovan National Army, National Army (which is divided into the Moldovan Ground Forces, Land Forces Command and the Moldovan Air For ...

. The Moldovan Ground Forces date back to the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

between 1991 and 1992. the Moldovan Ground Forces consists of around 4,000 personnel.

History

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-six

ballistic missile A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...

defenses; seventy-seven armored personnel carriers and sixty-seven "look-alikes;" eighteen 122 mm and fifty-three 152 mm towed

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

units; nine 120 mm combined guns/ mortars; seventy

AT-4 Spigot The 9K111 ''Fagot'' (russian: Фагот; "bassoon") is a second-generation tube-launched semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) wire-guided anti-tank missile system of the Soviet Union for use from ground or vehicle mounts. The 9K111 Fa ...

, nineteen

AT-5 Spandrel The 9M113 ''Konkurs'' (russian: 9М113 «Конкурс»; en, "Contest"; NATO reporting name AT-5 ''Spandrel'') is a Soviet SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile. A development of the 9K111 Fagot with greater firepower, the 9M113 Konkurs can ...

, and twenty-seven

AT-6 Spiral 9K114 ''Shturm''
- Weaponsystems.net (russian: 9К114 «Штурм» - "Assault" ...

anti-tank Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first deve ...

guided weapons; a 73 mm SPG-9 recoilless launcher, forty-five

MT-12 MT-12 or 2A29 is a Soviet smoothbore 100-mm anti-tank gun, which served as the primary towed anti-tank artillery in the Soviet army from the early 1970s to the late 1980s. It is in significant use in the Russo-Ukrainian War (2014-present). H ...

100 mm anti-tank guns; and thirty ZU-23 23 mm and twelve

S-60 S60 may refer to: Automobiles * S-60 (tractor), a Soviet tractor * Toyota Crown (S60), a sedan * Volvo S60, a compact executive car Aviation * Blériot-SPAD S.60, a French biplane fighter * Kenmore Air Harbor, in Kenmore, Washington, United ...

57 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 from

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, 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 44 BMD-1 AIFV, and 266 APCs, including 91 TAB-71s, as well as 227 artillery pieces. The modern Land Forces Command was established on 25 December 2008. 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 44 BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, 164 APCs (100 wheeled, including 89 Romanian

TAB-71 The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs). It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen in public for the first time in 1961. BTR stands for ''Bron ...

s, and 64 tracked, BTRs and MT-LBs), 148 artillery pieces (69 towed, 9 2S9 self-propelled guns, and 11 "Urugan" multiple rocket launchers); 117

Anti-tank missile An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a Missile guidance, guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy Armoured fighting vehicle, heavily armored military v ...

s (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).

Structure

* Infantry Units: **

1st Motorized Infantry Brigade "Moldova" The 1st Motorized Infantry Brigade "Moldova" is an motorized infantry unit of the Moldovan National Army's Ground Forces based in the Moldovan city of Bălți. It was the first Army unit to be created in the newly independent country, being founded ...

– Bălți ** 2nd Motorized Infantry Brigade "Stefan Cel Mare" – Chișinău **

3rd Motorized Infantry Brigade "Dacia" The 3rd Motorized Infantry Brigade "Dacia" is an motorized infantry unit of the Moldovan National Army's Ground Forces based in Cahul. History The Dacia Motorized Infantry Brigade in Cahul was created on February 24, 1992, by the decree of the P ...

–

Cahul Cahul (; also known by other alternative names) is a city and municipality in southern Moldova. The city is the administrative center of Cahul District; it also administers one village, Cotihana. As of 2014 census, the city has had a populatio ...

** 22nd Peacekeeping Battalion – Chișinău * Artillery Division "Prut" –

Ungheni Ungheni () is a municipality in Moldova. With a population of 35,157, it is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District. There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border t ...

* Independent Engineer Battalion "Codru" – Negrești, Strășeni * Independent Radio Regiment "Basarabia" – Durleşti,

* Independent Special Forces Battalion "Fulger" –

Durlești Durlești () is a town in Chișinău municipality, Moldova. Durlești locality, located in the North-West part of Chisinau, is the largest of the suburbs of the capital. According to the results of the 2014 census, the city proper had a populati ...

, Chișinău * Independent Chemical Protection Company – Negrești, Strășeni * Guard Battalion – Chișinău ** Ceremonial Honour Guard Company ** Guard Company ** Military Police Company ** General Staff Company ** Auto Company ** Insurance Company * 1st Independent Battalion of Peacekeepers –

Cocieri Cocieri is a commune in the Republic of Moldova, and the administrative center of Dubăsari District. It is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River, consisting of two villages, ''Cocieri'' and ''Vasilievca''. During 1992 War of Transni ...

, Dubăsari District * 3rd Independent Battalion of Peacekeepers – Coșnița, Dubăsari District * Independent Infantry Company of Peacekeepers –

Varnița, Anenii Noi Varnița (russian: Ва́рница, uk, Варниця) is a village in the Anenii Noi District, Moldova, located near Bender, Moldova, Bender (Tighina). It is also considered a suburb of Bender. After the 1992 War of Transnistria, Varnița rem ...

Gallery

File:Moldovan Forces Train in Ukraine During Rapid Trident 2011 (5998213629).jpg, Moldovan forces during the Rapid Trident 2011. File:08-27-2016 - Парад в Молдовы 04.jpg, The 2nd Motorized Infantry Brigade "Stefan Cel Mare" on parade. File:Moldovan Presidential Band in their Winter Uniform.jpeg, The

Presidential Orchestra of the Republic of Moldova The Presidential Band of the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Orchestra prezidențială a Republicii Moldova, OPRM) is an artist collective and the senior most military band of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova (also under the Moldovan Nationa ...

File:Moldovan soldier.jpg, Moldovan soldier training for mine prodding File:HMMWV Moldova army.jpg, Moldovan

HMMWV The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of light, four-wheel drive, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles previously performed by the ori ...

Equipment

References

{{Military equipment of Europe Military of Moldova

History

Structure

Gallery

Equipment

See also

References