Conflict catalog

1991 Somali Civil War: Weapons and Equipment

Long-running Somali conflict after the collapse of the Siad Barre government, including the post-2006 insurgency centered on al-Shabaab and the Somali federal, AU, regional, and foreign-supported campaigns against it.

The 1991 Somali Civil War is a long-running conflict that followed the collapse of the Siad Barre government and later evolved through warlord, clan, Islamist, federal-government, African Union, regional, and foreign-supported phases. This catalog includes the post-2006 al-Shabaab insurgency within the parent conflict, with attention to south-central Somalia, Mogadishu security, improvised explosives, crew-served weapons, MANPADS proliferation, and counterinsurgency operations.

This catalog tracks weapon systems directly documented in the 1991 Somali Civil War and its later post-2006 al-Shabaab phase.

Use the catalog to track weapons, equipment, and factional alignment documented in Somalia from the early civil-war period through the ongoing federal-government, African Union, and al-Shabaab insurgency context.

The former post-2006 al-Shabaab catalog is merged here so the Somali Civil War remains the single public conflict page while al-Shabaab remains visible as a named phase and side.

19 weapon systems

Conflict Actors

Somali government and aligned forces / Opposition and insurgent forces / International intervention forces

International intervention forces

2 weapon systems in this catalog
  • United States and UNOSOM forces

Context

Status
Published catalog
Location
South-central Somalia, Mogadishu, Lower Shabelle, Middle Shabelle, Hiraan, Galgaduud, Bay, Bakool, Gedo, Jubaland, and cross-border pressure around Kenya and Ethiopia
Countries
Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia
Regions
Mogadishu, Lower Shabelle, Middle Shabelle, Hiraan, Galgaduud, Bay, Bakool, Jubaland, Gedo, Puntland, Kenya border regions
Domains
land, air, urban warfare, urban attacks, IED, counterinsurgency, air defense, small arms, crew-served weapons, cross-border attacks, foreign military support

This Somali archive is source-limited and combines early civil-war entries with the documented post-2006 al-Shabaab phase. It includes UNOSOM-era U.S. aviation, militia RPG and technical use, and directly documented light, crew-served, air, and improvised weapons tied to al-Shabaab-era reporting. The page should not be read as a full order of battle; individual weapon pages still need direct system-specific evidence before they are attached to the conflict.

Map

South-central Somalia, Mogadishu, Lower Shabelle, Middle Shabelle, Hiraan, Galgaduud, Bay, Bakool, Gedo, Jubaland, and cross-border pressure around Kenya and Ethiopia

Open map

Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Timeline

Key Events

  1. Post-ICU insurgency phase begins

    Ethiopia intervened against the Islamic Courts Union in late 2006, creating the setting in which al-Shabaab became the central insurgent actor opposing Somalia's transitional and later federal authorities.

    Sources: Somalia - Civil War, Conflict, Famine, Endless war: a brief history of the Somali conflict

  2. UN sanctions list al-Shabaab

    The United Nations Security Council sanctions committee listed al-Shabaab, citing attacks and threats against Somalia's political process, transitional institutions, AMISOM, peacekeeping operations, and humanitarian access.

    Sources: Al-Shabaab UN Sanctions Summary

  3. Al-Shabaab loses fixed control in Mogadishu

    AMISOM and Somali government forces pushed al-Shabaab out of Mogadishu's major fixed positions, moving the conflict toward a mixture of rural control, urban attacks, and repeated counterinsurgency campaigns.

    Sources: CFR Conflict With Al-Shabaab in Somalia

  4. ATMIS replaces AMISOM

    The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia became operational as a reconfigured AU mission intended to support Somali security forces and transfer greater security responsibility to Somali authorities.

    Sources: ATMIS Home

  5. Federal and local offensives expand

    Somalia's government and aligned local clan militias opened a renewed offensive against al-Shabaab from August 2022, retaking areas while also triggering retaliatory attacks and pressure on civilians in contested districts.

    Sources: Crisis Group Sustaining Gains, ACLED Somalia April 2023 Update, EUAA Somalia Security Situation 2025

  6. UN endorses AUSSOM transition

    The Security Council endorsed the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia as the successor to ATMIS, with the new mission taking effect at the start of 2025.

    Sources: AUSSOM UN Security Council Resolutions, ATMIS Home

  7. AUSSOM reauthorized through 2026

    The Security Council reauthorized AUSSOM through the end of 2026, keeping the AU mission central to external support for Somalia's campaign against al-Shabaab.

    Sources: AUSSOM UN Security Council Resolutions

Phases

Jan 26, 1991 - Dec 23, 2006

State collapse, factional war, and international intervention

After the fall of the Siad Barre government, Somali factional forces, clan militias, international intervention forces, and later transitional authorities fought through a fragmented civil-war environment before the post-2006 insurgency phase.

Dec 24, 2006 - Aug 6, 2011

Ethiopian intervention, AMISOM build-up, and urban insurgency

The defeat of the Islamic Courts Union and the deployment of Ethiopian, Somali transitional, and African Union forces produced an insurgency centered on Mogadishu, roadside bombs, assassinations, crew-served weapons, and attacks on government and peacekeeping targets.

Aug 7, 2011 - Mar 31, 2022

Loss of Mogadishu positions and regional guerrilla war

After losing fixed control in Mogadishu, al-Shabaab retained influence across rural south-central Somalia, staged bombings and raids, and remained resilient despite AMISOM-backed clearing operations and U.S. counterterrorism support.

Apr 1, 2022 - Dec 31, 2024

ATMIS transition and renewed Somali offensives

ATMIS replaced AMISOM as Somali forces, local clan militias, and partners pursued renewed offensives from 2022, with al-Shabaab adapting through rural withdrawals, attacks on military sites, improvised explosives, and pressure on civilians.

Jan 1, 2025 - present

AUSSOM transition and contested stabilization

AUSSOM now anchors the AU mission while Somali authorities continue to rely on federal, local, AU, and external support against an insurgency that remains active in central and southern Somalia.

External Support

External support is central to this conflict catalog. AMISOM, ATMIS, and AUSSOM represent successive African Union missions backing Somali authorities, while CFR describes United Nations and African Union peacekeeping, U.S. involvement, and East African states as active parts of the fight against al-Shabaab. The transition to AUSSOM in 2025 keeps outside military support, training, stabilization, and drawdown politics tied directly to the equipment record.

Images

AMISOM troops forming up before a night operation southwest of Mogadishu
Ugandan AMISOM troops forming up with Somali National Army elements before a 2012 operation near Elasha Biya southwest of Mogadishu.AMISOM Public Information / AU-UN IST, Stuart Price | CC0 1.0Source: AMISOM Public Information / AU-UN IST, Stuart Price
Somali National Army soldiers holding positions in Afgoye during an AMISOM-supported operation
Somali National Army soldiers in Afgoye during a 2012 AMISOM-supported operation to secure the Afgoye corridor west of Mogadishu.AMISOM Public Information / AU-UN IST, Stuart Price | CC0 1.0Source: AMISOM Public Information / AU-UN IST, Stuart Price
AMISOM troops unloading defensive barriers in Mogadishu
AMISOM troops unload defensive barriers after an advance with Somali forces in Mogadishu.UN-AU Information Support Team / AMISOM Public Information | CC0 1.0Source: UN-AU Information Support Team / AMISOM Public Information

Weapons

1991 Somali Civil War Weapon Systems

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

6/6
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsF/A-18E/F Super HornetCarrier-capable multirole strike fighterSide: Federal Government of Somalia and allied forcesRole: Carrier-based strike fighterBuilt: Boeing / United StatesBoeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a U.S. Navy carrier-capable multirole strike fighter developed from the Hornet family for fleet air defense, escort, interdiction, close air support, aerial refueling, suppression of enemy air defenses, and day/night precision strike. The single-seat F/A-18E and two-seat F/A-18F anchor carrier air wings through Block II and Block III upgrades, with documented U.S. Navy use in Afghanistan drawdown support, Operation Inherent Resolve, the Red Sea crisis, Somalia strikes, and U.S. operations against Iran.
AC-130 gunship, Heavily armed fixed-wing gunship, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAC-130 gunshipHeavily armed fixed-wing gunshipSide: Federal Government of Somalia and allied forcesRole: Strike aircraftBuilt: Lockheed Martin / United StatesThe AC-130 gunship is a side-firing C-130 derivative built for persistent close air support, air interdiction, armed reconnaissance, and special-operations overwatch. Modern AC-130U, AC-130W, and AC-130J aircraft pair trainable cannon armament with electro-optical/infrared sensors, fire-control systems, communications suites, and standoff precision munitions so crews can support ground forces from extended loiter or overwatch positions.
M/AH-6M Little Bird, Light special operations helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsM/AH-6M Little BirdLight special operations helicopterSide: Somali government and aligned forcesRole: Special operations attack and assault liftBuilt: MD Helicopters / Boeing / United StatesThe M/AH-6M Little Bird family pairs a compact special operations helicopter with armed and troop-carrying mission fits: AH-6M aircraft provide close air support with guns, rockets, and missiles, while MH-6M aircraft move small assault teams into confined landing zones. U.S. Army history documents AH/MH-6 Little Birds in Somalia and AH-6 support at Hadithah Dam in Iraq; later open-source reporting tied M/AH-6Ms to a caveated 2026 United States-Venezuela Conflict support role.
Bayraktar TB2, Medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsBayraktar TB2Medium-altitude long-endurance UAVSide: Federal Government of Somalia and allied forcesRole: Counterinsurgency armed UAV strikeBuilt: Baykar / TurkeyThe Bayraktar TB2 is a Turkish MALE armed UAV built by Baykar for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision strike missions. Developed from 2012 and delivered to Turkish inventory in 2014, Baykar reports more than 1.25 million operational flight hours, and the aircraft became one of the most visible armed drones of the 2020s through documented use in Ukraine, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, the Sahel, Sudan, Somalia, and other conflicts.
Black Hawk helicopter, Medium-lift military utility helicopter family, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsBlack Hawk helicopterMedium-lift military utility helicopter familySide: United States and UNOSOM forcesRole: UnknownBuilt: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation / United StatesThe Black Hawk is Sikorsky's twin-engine medium-lift military utility helicopter family, developed from the U.S. Army's 1972 UTTAS requirement and fielded from 1978-79. The cataloged family covers utility, special-operations, armed, and HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue variants, with directly documented use from the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu to NATO combat search and rescue over Kosovo, U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Ukrainian Defence Intelligence Black Hawk missions during the Russia-Ukraine war.
Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger II, Supersonic light fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsNorthrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger IISupersonic light fighter aircraftSide: Somali government and aligned forcesRole: Legacy fighter fleetBuilt: Northrop Corporation / United StatesThe Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger II is a lightweight supersonic fighter family developed by Northrop for export customers, low operating cost, and easy support. The later F-5E/F Tiger II and F-5N/F adversary aircraft kept the design relevant through radar, structural, avionics, and training-role upgrades, while combat use spans Vietnam, Iran, Yemen, North Africa, and other source-limited air-war records.

Category

Armored Vehicles

Troop carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and protected mobility.

3/3
Centauro B1, 8x8 wheeled tank destroyer, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesCentauro B18x8 wheeled tank destroyerSide: United States and UNOSOM forcesRole: UnknownBuilt: IVECO / OTO Melara / ItalyThe Centauro B1 is an Italian 8x8 wheeled tank destroyer built for cavalry reconnaissance, rapid road movement, and direct-fire support rather than main-battle-tank protection. Developed by the IVECO-Fiat and OTO Melara consortium, it combines an OTO Melara 105 mm/52 rifled gun, a four-person crew, long road range, and a comparatively light wheeled chassis; documented conflict use includes Italian UNOSOM II fighting in Somalia, coalition employment in Iraq, and Ukrainian service where crews have added anti-drone protection and used the gun from closed firing positions.
Fahd armored personnel carrier, Wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesFahd armored personnel carrierWheeled armored personnel carrierSide: Federal Government of Somalia and allied forcesRole: UnknownBuilt: Kader Factory for Developed Industries / EgyptThe Fahd armored personnel carrier is an Egyptian 4x4 APC family built by Kader Factory after German-assisted development work for Egypt's post-Walid armored fleet. Its baseline role is protected infantry transport, but the family expanded into command, ambulance, recovery, police-security, mine-laying, and BMP-2-turret IFV forms. Direct conflict-use coverage includes Egyptian government deployments in the 2011 Sinai Insurgency and Burundian AMISOM Fahd-300 vehicles in Somalia.

Category

Infantry Weapons

Portable weapons used by soldiers and small units.

5/5
QLZ-87 automatic grenade launcher, 35 mm automatic grenade launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsQLZ-87 automatic grenade launcher35 mm automatic grenade launcherSide: Federal Government of Somalia and allied forcesRole: AMISOM infantry and vehicle fire-support weaponBuilt: Norinco / ChinaThe QLZ-87 is a Chinese 35x32 mm automatic grenade launcher built for portable infantry fire support, with light bipod and heavier tripod configurations fed by drum magazines. Its cataloged conflict record is strongest where photographs or arms-monitoring reports identify specific examples: AMISOM weapons in Somalia, SPLM-N captures in Sudan, opposition and Islamic State appearances in Syria, Séléka stocks in CAR, Kurdish weapons in Iraq, a Boko Haram capture in Niger, and a Taliban capture in Afghanistan.
SPG-9, 73 mm tripod-mounted recoilless gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsSPG-973 mm tripod-mounted recoilless gunSide: al-Shabaab and affiliated insurgentsRole: Probable insurgent crew-served fire supportBuilt: Soviet state arsenals / Arsenal JSCo / Romarm / Soviet Union / Bulgaria / RomaniaThe SPG-9 is a Soviet 73 mm tripod-mounted recoilless gun, known in some references as Kopye, that fires rocket-assisted HEAT and HE-fragmentation projectiles from a crew-served launcher. Accepted into Soviet service in 1962 and exported widely, it was designed as an anti-armor weapon but still appears in conflicts as a flexible direct- and indirect-fire support system.
B-10 recoilless rifle, 82 mm smoothbore recoilless rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsB-10 recoilless rifle82 mm smoothbore recoilless rifleSide: al-Shabaab and affiliated insurgentsRole: Direct-fire anti-armor weaponBuilt: Tulamashzavod / Norinco / Soviet Union / ChinaThe B-10 recoilless rifle is a Soviet 82 mm smoothbore recoilless rifle introduced in 1954 and built around a wheeled, tripod-firing carriage. WeaponSystems.net identifies Chinese Type 65, Type 65-1, Type 78, and East German RG82 family copies, while Human Rights Watch and a 2024 UN report document Somali insurgent use decades after Soviet production ended.
M79 Osa, Reusable 90 mm anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsM79 OsaReusable 90 mm anti-tank rocket launcherSide: Federal Government of Somalia and allied forcesRole: UnknownBuilt: Sloboda Cacak / Yugoslavia / SerbiaThe M79 Osa is a Yugoslav-designed, reusable 90 mm shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher built around unguided HEAT rockets, a detachable rocket container, and optical sighting. Direct conflict-use evidence includes Free Syrian Army firing in Damascus, Islamic State-associated M79 Osa rockets and launchers in Syria and Iraq, and a Somali security-force seizure in Puntland; source-backed family context also covers the RL90 M95, OSA 2, and thermobaric rocket payload.
RPG Launcher, Shoulder-fired anti-armor rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPG LauncherShoulder-fired anti-armor rocket-propelled grenade launcherSide: Opposition and insurgent forcesal-Shabaab and affiliated insurgentsRole: Militia and insurgent RPG fire across Somali Civil War phasesBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple, including Soviet Union/Russia, China, Bulgaria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Romania, and EgyptRPG launchers are portable infantry anti-armor and direct-fire weapons used to fire explosive grenades against vehicles, buildings, helicopters, and fortified positions. This generic record covers conflict sources that identify RPG use without enough detail to assign a narrower model, from Mogadishu and Freetown to Darfur and Marawi.

Category

Munitions

Standalone missiles, bombs, rockets, torpedoes, and guided or unguided explosive payloads.

5/5
60 mm M73 HE mortar shell, 60 mm high-explosive mortar shell, MunitionsMunitions60 mm M73 HE mortar shell60 mm high-explosive mortar shellSide: al-Shabaab and affiliated insurgentsRole: Insurgent mortar ammunitionBuilt: Yugoimport SDPR / Krušik / SerbiaThe 60 mm M73 HE mortar shell is a Serbian high-explosive round in the Yugoimport and Krušik 60 mm mortar-shell catalogs. Beyond catalog data for M57 mortar firing, open reporting and UN monitoring have tied M73 rounds to Ukrainian use, al-Shabaab mortar attacks in Somalia, and seized ammunition after the 2023 Banjska attack.
AGM-114 Hellfire missile family, Air-to-surface missile family, MunitionsMunitionsAGM-114 Hellfire missile familyAir-to-surface missile familySide: Federal Government of Somalia and allied forcesRole: Counterterrorism UAV strikeBuilt: Lockheed Martin / United StatesThe AGM-114 Hellfire is a U.S. precision missile family developed for helicopter anti-armor missions and later adapted across UAVs, gunships, ships, and special-purpose strike roles. Cataloged combat use spans Desert Storm Apache strikes, Operation Iraqi Freedom aviation engagements, counter-ISIS and counterterrorism drone operations, Israeli helicopter fire in 2023, Ukrainian counter-drone Tempest vehicles assessed with AGM-114L Longbow missiles, and the secretive AGM-114R9X kinetic variant reported in low-collateral targeted strikes.
GBU-69 Small Glide Munition, Guided air-to-surface glide bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-69 Small Glide MunitionGuided air-to-surface glide bombSide: Federal Government of Somalia and allied forcesRole: AC-130-launched precision strike munitionBuilt: Leidos / Dynetics / United StatesThe GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition is a U.S. special-operations stand-off glide bomb developed by Dynetics, now part of Leidos, for Common Launch Tube carriage on AC-130 gunships and integration on unmanned aircraft. It combines GPS navigation, semi-active laser terminal guidance, fold-out wings, lattice tail controls, and a 36-lb blast-fragmentation warhead in a roughly 60-lb munition. Amnesty International identified GBU-69/B fragments from a November 2017 U.S. strike in Somalia, making Somalia the record's directly sourced conflict-use context.
MAM-L guided bomb, Laser-guided smart micro munition, MunitionsMunitionsMAM-L guided bombLaser-guided smart micro munitionSide: Federal Government of Somalia and allied forcesRole: Drone-delivered precision strikes during Somali government operationsBuilt: Roketsan / TurkeyThe MAM-L is a Turkish laser-guided smart micro munition built by Roketsan for UAVs and light attack aircraft. Official Roketsan data lists a 22 kg, 160 mm weapon with laser guidance, alternative warheads, and a 15 km range, while conflict reporting documents MAM-L use from Bayraktar TB2-class armed drones in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine, Somalia, and Tigray.
Vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), Vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, MunitionsMunitionsVehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED)Vehicle-borne improvised explosive deviceSide: al-Shabaab and affiliated insurgentsRole: Complex-attack breach weaponBuilt: Operator-built / Improvised / VariesA vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, or VBIED, is a car, truck, SUV, trailer, or other ground vehicle adapted to carry and deliver an explosive charge. The record covers car bombs, truck bombs, SVBIEDs, and up-armored assault vehicles documented across insurgent and jihadist conflicts from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, and the Second Intifada.

Conflict Sources

Conflict-level sources support chronology, geography, AU mission transitions, al-Shabaab activity patterns, the post-2006 phase within the 1991 Somali Civil War, and external-support context. Individual weapon pages still need direct system-specific conflict-use sourcing because Somalia reporting often relies on monitoring reports, captured materiel, low-resolution imagery, or contested battlefield claims.

  • Somalia - Civil War, Conflict, FaminePublisher: Britannica | Note: Supports the 2006 phase of the 1991 Somali Civil War, including Ethiopia's intervention, the ensuing insurgency, and the conflict's continuation. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • The U.S. Army in Somalia, 1992-1994Publisher: U.S. Army Center of Military History | Note: Supports the early civil-war international-intervention side context by documenting U.S. Army operations in Somalia during the UNOSOM period. | Accessed: 2026-07-06
  • Al-ShabaabPublisher: United Nations Security Council | Note: Supports the insurgent side label by documenting al-Shabaab as a group that threatens Somalia's stability and peace process. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • Endless war: a brief history of the Somali conflictPublisher: Conciliation Resources | Note: Supports the post-2006 conflict framing and the armed struggle around the Somali government and insurgent forces. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • CFR Conflict With Al-Shabaab in SomaliaPublisher: Council on Foreign Relations | Note: Supports the ongoing conflict overview, al-Shabaab resilience, Mogadishu and regional campaign context, external actor framing, and equipment-domain caveats. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • ATMIS HomePublisher: African Union Transition Mission in Somalia | Note: Supports the ATMIS start date, the AMISOM-to-ATMIS transition, and the UN-backed handover toward AUSSOM. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • AUSSOM UN Security Council ResolutionsPublisher: African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia | Note: Supports the AUSSOM effective date, UN Security Council Resolution 2767 transition context, and later AUSSOM reauthorization through 2026. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • Crisis Group Sustaining GainsPublisher: International Crisis Group | Note: Supports the August 2022 Somali government offensive framing and the challenges of holding gains against al-Shabaab. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • ACLED Somalia April 2023 UpdatePublisher: ACLED | Note: Supports the 2022-2023 counterinsurgency offensive phase and regional support context. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • ACLED Mapping al-Shabaab's Activity in Somalia 2024Publisher: ACLED | Note: Supports the 2024 assessment that al-Shabaab remained a major driver of political violence in Somalia despite government operations. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • Critical Threats al-Shabaab Area of OperationsPublisher: Critical Threats Project | Note: Supports the description of al-Shabaab activity in central and southern Somalia, regular attacks on government and security targets, and cross-border pressure. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • EUAA Somalia Security Situation 2025Publisher: European Union Agency for Asylum | Note: Supports regional security context, contested districts, recent al-Shabaab activity, and source caveats for Somalia reporting. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • Commons AMISOM Night Operations PhotoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC0 licensing for the AMISOM night operation photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • Commons Afgoye Corridor Operation PhotoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC0 licensing for the AMISOM and Somali National Army Afgoye operation photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-22
  • Commons AMISOM Operations PhotoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC0 licensing for the AMISOM Mogadishu operations photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-22