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Ogaden War, 1977-1978 - 4/28/12 8:20 PM Ogaden War, 1977-1978 - www.acig.org 4/28/12 8:20 PM Search Forum Exclusives ACIG Journal Home Database Sub-Saharan Africa Ogaden War, 1977-1978 Apr 29, 2012 at 04:29 Home Ogaden War, 1977-1978 Database Contributed by Tom Cooper, with additional details from Gianfranco Lanini Special Reports Feb 10, 2008 at 06:39 PM Central & Latin America Europe Ogaden War was characteristic for both, its typical African post-colonial character, and for some of the most amazing changes of alliances Former USSR of the whole Cold War: nevertheless, it saw some of the most vicious fighting in the air ever over the whole continent. Western & Northern Africa The Coup in Mogadishu Sub-Saharan Africa Middle East Arabian Peninsula & On 15 October 1969, following the assassination of the President, the army and police seized power in Somalia. A Supreme Revolutionary Persian Gulf Council was established, the National Assembly and Cabinet were dissolved, political parties were abolished, the constitution suspended, Indian Subcontinent and the Prime Minister arrested. The new regime, led by Siad Barre, established itself in Mogadishu almost immediately announcing that it Indochina would support all liberation movements in countries under colonial rule, as well as those in “illegally occupied territory”. This particularly Far East referred to about 1 million Somalis living in Kenya, Ethiopia, and the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas – later to become known LCIG as Djibouti. Although Somalia proclaimed a policy of nonalignment in foreign relations, its foreign policy for the following 20 years has NCIG been consistently anti-Western and pro-Communist. Modeler's Corner Media Barely a year after climbing to power, Barre declared Somalia for a „socialist“ and democratic republic (as “al-Jumhouriya as-Somaliya al- Domocradiya”), but this was nothing but a farce. In fact, the Somali dictator was little more but a typical Stalinist dictator, who tolerated Advanced Search no opposition or resistance to his rule, yet needed a strong army to keep himself in power. Almost immediately after establishing his rule, he requested aid from Moscow, exchanging rights for Soviet ships to use Somali ports as bases for modern weaponry. Somali Air Corps The Somali Air Force - translation of the original designation meant actually „Somali Air Corps“ (SAC) - was originally established with Italian aid, in the early 1960s. Emerging from the Italian "Corpo die Sicurezza della Somalia" while the country was under Italian administration, between 1950 and 1960. The most important pieces of its original equipment were eight North American F-51D Mustangs, which remained in service until 1968. Between 1950 and 1960, Somalia was under Italian administration. The Italians run the "Corpo di Sicurezza della Somalia", which also operated a number of F-51D Mustangs. Eight of these were handed over to Somalia, together with six C- 47/Dakotas and six Beech C-45s, when the country was released into independence, and they formed the core of the future Somali Air Corps, remaining in service until 1968. The exact look of Somali F-51D Mustangs is still somewhat of mystery, with almost no references being available. The artwork here was prepared with help of information from Mr. Gianfranco Lanini and a decal sheet released in Portugal, years ago. In addition to national markings - worn in six places - and the large black code "2", applied on rear fuselage, the aircraft should have had a part of its original serial applied somewhere on the fin. (Artwork by Tom Cooper, based on information from Mr. Gianfranco Lanini) Back in 1963, Somalia rejected as “too small and too restrictive” a joint US-Italian military aid proposal, and instead began requesting arms from the Soviet Union. Connections with Moscow were established and soon afterwards resulted in an agreement for a $35 million Soviet loan with the objective of raising a 20.000-man army. The Soviets immediately began supplying their aircraft, including the first out of eventual 40 MiG-17s and MiG-15UTIs, three Antonov An-24s and three An-2s. In addition to aircraft, the Soviets also delivered some SA-2 SAMs, and reconstructed existing or built several new airfields, including Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Baidoa, and Kismayu. By 1967, in addition to more than 50 aircraft, Somalia received also about 150 armoured vehicles, anti-aircraft and field artillery, and quantities of vehicles and infantry weapons. The port of Berbera, barely 250km from the strategic strait of Bab el-Mandeb and port of Aden, was modernized by the Russians. At the time, the Somali Army was about 13.000 strong, organized into nine mechanized infantry battalions of 700 men each (equipped with BTR-40, BTR-50 and BTR-152 armoured personnel carriers - APCs), four tank battalions with T-34 tanks, one commando battalion, two field artillery battalions with 76mm guns and 122mm howitzers, two heavy anti-aircraft battalions with 100mm radar-controlled guns, and three light anti-aircraft battalions with 37mm and 14.5mm automatic cannons. Combat readiness was low due to poor maintenance. Following the military coup of 1969, Soviet military assistance increased considerably. Several hundred Soviet officers served as military advisers and technicians, and more equipment was to follow. In 1974, SAC received the first of an eventual total of 40 MiG-21MFs and MiG-21UMs, possibly up to ten Il-28s, and some Mi-8 helicopters. However, the small force was never capable of manning or maintaining all of its aircraft, and by 1977 only some 30 MiG-21s, perhaps ten MiG-17s and a handful of Mi-8s remained operational, most of which were stationed in Mogadishu, even if a sizeable contingent was always deployed in Hargheisa. The SAC has had some 1.750 men at the time, and – aside from Soviet-made combat aircraft and helicopters – still operated also few US-made transport aircraft, including three Douglas C-47s and one Beech C-45, as well as three Italian-made Piaggio P-148s. The Army was reinforced as well. All four tank battalions were re-equipped and enlargened, and – coupled with four mechanized battalions – used to establish four mechanized brigades, equipped with T-55 and Centurion main battle tanks (MBTs), as well as BTR-152 and BTR-60 APCs. Each of these units has had its organic artillery battalion, equipped with 122mm howitzers, while two newly- http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=140&Itemid=47 Page 1 of 9 Ogaden War, 1977-1978 - www.acig.org 4/28/12 8:20 PM established artillery units operated BM-21 rocket-launchers. These four units were the pride of the Somali military. Except for Soviet military aid, assistance has also been received from other countries. In the 1960s, Egypt supplied 12 torpedo boats, training aircraft and light arms for Somali guerrillas in Ethiopia; Sudan trained staff officers, cadets, and signal and engineer NCOs. Somali soldiers were also trained in the USSR, People’s Republic of China, Egypt, Italy, Iraq, and Syria. The USA, Italy and West Germany supplied equipment and training for the police and a commando battalion – until their assistance was suspended, in 1970. However, in general, Somalia received little attention until 1968, when UN geologists made a discovery of what may be the world’s largest deposits of uranium ore in the country. Their finds were close to the surface and susceptible to economical strip mining methods. This discovery was of great importance in the light of the then increasing demands for nuclear fuel. SAC Mi-4 as seen during a parade in Mogadishu, in the early 1970s. The SAC obtained only a handful of these, and it remains unknown if any remained operational at the times of the Ogaden War. (Artwork by Tom Cooper) Yaityopya Nigusa Nagast Manguist (Empire of Ethiopia) Ethiopia is the oldest internationally recognized independent African state. In fact, the country has maintained its independence over the centuries against neighbouring enemies by the relative inaccessibility of the high central plateau. For more than 1.000 years, Ethipia’s traditional enemies have been Arabs and other Moslems who surround it on three sides: Egypt has always coveted the headwaters of the Blue Nile and the danger of Egyptian aggression became a serious concern during the 1960s. From 1935 until 1941, Ethiopian independence was broken by Italian conquest: following defeat of the poorly-armed Ethiopian Army, in May 1936, Italy annexed Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somaliland, forming its East African Empire. Thereafter, the region came under one of fire Air Commands of the Italian Air Force. Mindful of the failure of the League of Nations to come to their aid against Italy, following the end of the World War II, Ethiopians supported the UN and the principle of collective security: in implementation of this policy they contributed to UN forces in Korea (1951- 1953) and the Congo (1960-1964), and were one of the founders of Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian capitol. Under the rule of Emperor Haile Selassie I, Yaityopya Nigusa Nagast Manguist (Empire of Ethiopia), a hereditary constitutional monarch, Ethiopia began receiving US military aid with the aim of buildup and modernisation of its armed forces. Approximately 300 US soldiers were stationed in the country: while some acted as instructors for Ethiopian military - especially the Ethiopian Army and Air Force - most were manning an important SIGINT/ELINT-base at Kegnew (near Asmara, today in Eritrea), established already back in 1942, at the times said to have been the world’s largest high frequency radio relaying and receiving station. By 1970, some 25.000 Ethiopian officers and soldiers went through different training courses in the USA. The rate was increased after, in October 1970, the ties with the USA were strengthened through new agreements, which included a plan for the USA to equip and train all of the 40.000-man Ethiopian military, in exchange for expansion of the Kagnew Station.
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