Critical analysis of Yemen's current Military Capabilities - Research Paper Example

The armed forces personnel’s in the military of Yemen in somewhat very large. In the Arab countries the second largest army force is of Yemen next to Saudia. The military of Yemen is comprised of a military fleet, heavy naval equipments and a strong and well equipped air strength. In the year 2007 the total military capabilities were expected to be: territorial armed forces, 65,000; fleet, 7000-8000; and the air power, 4,000. The Yemen;s military force  include the  Republican Guard force in the army, Naval forces and marines and the air power defense and offence capabilities with the cutting edge equipments and the jet planes who have the capability to defend the country.

Economically Yemen is one of the least developed nations amongst the United Arab countries. The employment rate is just 65%1. Even being below poverty line the Yemen’s government invests the largest portion of its GDP in the development of its armed forces. The security costs are really high as they account for the good amount of Yemen’s GDP i.e. 40 to 50 percent. In the year 2002, Yemen spent US$731 million on its military, and this amount has been increasing every year. For instance, the country the military expenditures of 700 million US Dollar were in year 2002 and they have increased to to almost 900 million dollars in the year 2004 2.

Yemen entails a total of 11,700 troops divided among the army, air force and the navy; it also consists of total 40,000 reserves3. The Yemen’s armed forces industry is the state-run security firm of Yemen. It is accountable for the production of a broad range of security equipment, such as light efficacy vehicle, medium load trucks, ammunition and the electronics. The overseas military suppliers include China, Russia and North Korea4. Yemen Ground Warfare Proficiency Yemen’s army forms the largest part of its military, it has several sectors.

“The army is systematized into eight protected taskforces, sixteen infantry taskforces, six automated taskforces, two aerial commando taskforces, one surface-to-surface missile brigade, three weaponry taskforces, one central guard force, one Special Forces team, and six air defense taskforces, which entails four antiaircraft weaponry battalions and one surface-to-air warhead battalion”5. The army is very large and constitutes supportive tangible equipment such as up to eight hundred battle tanks, three hundred multiple rocket launchers.

“Yemen’s army is also stated to be fortified with 140 search systems, 220 confined army combating programmes, 700 shatterproof workers transporters, an estimated 502 grouts, likely 30 armaments and 20 land weaponry, 20 to 30 auto controlled arms, 3-3 shoot up launchers and 540 space protection weapons6. Due to the wide spread of Al-Qaeda, Yemen has taken serious and strict measures in order to avoid any security issues. Since the last few years, US has been funding Yemen military in order to rectify the problem of Al-Qaeda in Yemen and surrounding areas7.

Yemen Army is playing a major role in order to ensure complete security for its country. Yemen has just imported eighty SS-21 systems. The SS-21 is a combat zone projectile planned for tactical operation. It was planned as a substitute for the Free Rocket above Ground (FROG) missile sequences8. It is supposed to be able of being launched in either a ballistic or a cruise missile manner. The