The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) have consistently been rated as one of the most powerful army in Africa.
KDF has 25,000 active personnel, less than any of the major East African countries. Tanzania has 30,000 while Uganda has 45,000.
Ethiopia, however, dwarfs everyone, with an 185,000 strong military force.
Yet, despite the huge numbers of our neighbors’ defense forces personnel, you would have to combine their total defense budgets to reach KDF’s annual defense budget. Ethiopia, for instance, is about a third Kenya’s.
It’s a no-brainer that with such a large army but with so little money, most of the resources will be directed towards personnel and not weapons. In the region, KDF, therefore, has the most advanced weapons.
Take for instance the FN SCAR rifle. SCAR is an abbreviation for Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle.
A US soldier with an FN SCAR rifle
KDF Soldiers with FN SCAR rifles during the Westgate Mall Terror Attack
The rifle completed production testing in 2007, and was initially made for the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM). There are several variations to the rifle, each suited for a specific purpose, eg battlefield engagement, marksman etc.
It is only used in 20 countries, among them Kenya.
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Countries That Use FN SCAR Rifle |
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Kenya Japan Lithuania Malaysia Nepal Peru Philippines Serbia Republic of Korea Thailand Turkey |
There’s a reason why the FN SCAR is out of reach for so many countries.
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It has been listed many times as the most powerful assault rifle ever invented, much lethal than the AK47, M4 and M16.
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Most Powerful Assault Rifles in the World |
Year Invented |
| 1. FN SCAR 2. FAMAS 3. FN FNC 4. Steyr Aug 5. Tavor 6. M4 carbine 7. M16 8. AK47 9. M1 Garand |
2009 1971 1970 1978 1995 1994 1963 1949 1928 |
Soldier with an M16 rifle (Number 7 on the list)
Soldier with an M4 rifle (Number 6 on the list)
Famas rifle (Number 2 on the list)
Soldier with an Steyr Aug rifle (Number 4 on the list)
With great power comes a great price tag.
An AK 47 costs around Sh50,000. The average cost of an M4 is Sh70,000, the same as an M16. When militaries buy in bulk, the price can come down significantly.
All these prices are however modest compared to the FN SCAR.
A single unit costs upwards of Sh300,000. That is why they are only placed in the hands of the elite forces, like here in Westgate.
So next time you see a soldier holding one of these, remember it’s almost the same price as a small car.
Source: Nairobi Wire
