List of equipment of the Royal Bhutan Army

List of the military equipment used by the Royal Bhutan Army. The RBA is a mobile infantry force exceptionally armed with weapons largely supplied by India.

Small arms

Name Image Caliber Type Origin Notes
Pistols
Browning Hi-Power 9×19mm Parabellum Semi-automatic pistol Belgium To be replaced by Glock-17
Glock-17 9x19mm Parabellum Semi-automatic pistol Austria
Sub-Machine guns
Heckler & Koch MP5 9x19mm Sub-machine gun Germany [1]
Uzi 9x19mm Parabellum Sub-machine gun Israel
Rifles
INSAS 5.56×45mm Assault rifle India 1B1 Variant; faces significant reliability issues, likely to be phased out.[2][3]
AK-74M 5.45x39mm Assault rifle Russia Widely used, preferred over the INSAS.[4][5]
AK-47 7.62x39mm Assault rifle Soviet Union limited use; mostly used for training.[6]
MPi-KM-72 7.62x39mm Assault rifle East Germany [7][8]
IWI Galil ACE 5.45×39mm Assault rifle Israel Used by specialized units.[9]
SR 88 5.56x45mm Assault rifle Singapore Used by the Royal Body Guards.[10][11]
Close Quarters Battle Receiver 5.56x45mm Assault rifle United States
M4 carbine 5.56x45mm Assault rifle United States Used by specialized units
M4A1 5.56x45mm Assault rifle United States
FN SCAR 5.56x45mm Assault rifle Belgium
M16A2 5.56×45mm Assault rifle United States
M16A4 5.56x45mm Assault rifle United States
L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle 7.62x51mm Battle Rifle United Kingdom Training purpose, used by the police force.[12]
FN FAL 7.62×51mm Battle rifle Belgium Training purpose, used by the police force.[13][14]
Heckler & Koch G3 7.62×51mm Battle rifle West Germany Used by sentries, most likely used by the police force.[15]
Designated Marksman Rifles
M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System 7.62x51mm Designated Marksman Rifle United States [16]
Anti-Material Rifles
Barrett M82 .50 BMG Anti-Material rifle United States
Machine guns
Bren 7.62x51mm Light Machine Gun United Kingdom seen mounted on vehicles.[17]
FN Minimi 5.56x45mm Light Machine Gun Belgium Limited use.
FN MAG 7.62x51mm General Purpose Machine Gun Belgium

Armoured personnel carriers

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
BTR-60 Armored personnel carrier Soviet Union 27 [18]
First Win Infantry mobility vehicle Thailand 25 15 used for peacekeeping missions, 10 used by the Police.[19][20]

Heavy weapons

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
Air defence
Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/70 Anti-aircraft gun Sweden 77
Oerlikon GDF Anti-aircraft gun  Switzerland 54
Mortars
81 mm mortar Mortar (Unknown)
120mm mortar Mortar (Unknown)

Anti-tank weapons

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Status Notes
Grenade launchers
GP-25 Grenade launcher Soviet Union [21]
Rocket launchers
RPG-7 Rocket-propelled grenade Soviet Union
RPG-30 Rocket-propelled grenade Russia
Recoilless rifles
Carl Gustaf 8.4 cm recoilless rifle Recoilless rifle Sweden
M40 recoilless rifle Recoilless rifle United States

References

  1. ^ https://x.com/PMBhutan/status/1603231610815492096
  2. ^ Reetika Sharma; Ramvir Goria; Vivek Mishra (2011). India and the Dynamics of World Politics: A book on Indian Foreign Policy, Related events and International Organizations. Pearson Education India. p. 128. ISBN 978-81-317-3291-5. Archived from the original on 8 July 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  3. ^ https://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/India/India_2.html
  4. ^ https://bhutannewsnetwork.com/2016/03/rba-in-another-operation-all-clear/
  5. ^ https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=427383718857887&id=100069041625778
  6. ^ https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-YSTxb-zg5g_5n9o6uMvIP42wg6v-t4JCZ561W0gJSpp6XeOboZOZ2rxqiFju4c3HW1xyJBHy1aWwTsgy7K67cgGk3stUgbqIMkOwKpQhkTN0Wr2dzVX9gQdshqRk-67lWktxJ90ycll/s1600/Bhutan+female+unit.jpg
  7. ^ https://www.alamy.com/royal-bhutan-army-soldiers-stand-near-the-closed-border-gate-to-india-at-samdrup-jongkhar-about-525-kilometers-328-miles-southeast-of-thimphu-capital-of-bhutan-monday-dec-31-2007-thousands-of-bhutanese-went-to-the-polls-monday-to-elect-a-national-council-the-final-stage-before-democratic-elections-that-will-end-nearly-100-years-of-absolute-monarchy-in-the-secluded-himalayan-country-ap-photoanupam-nath-image540119720.html
  8. ^ https://aminoapps.com/c/warfare-roleplay/page/item/royal-bhutan-army/ZWVN_dZHXIlYQNmz7Z0zQEqrjeD18XzYg
  9. ^ His Majesty The King with members of the contingent wearing their complete UN Peacekeeping gear. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck's Facebook page. August 29, 2022 Archived June 14, 2025, at archive.today
  10. ^ https://www.gettyimages.in/detail/news-photo/the-royal-guards-of-honour-take-their-positions-at-the-news-photo/129264616?adppopup=true
  11. ^ https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJ38M9juhASLrbhlkb9cJlwlZe8MkY0bJ_lnqUpsZXgsUt0ChbLo84CilKrqy4bZ4cyT2QpmLmp-NFd4-E_dgdQPWrMW-nxzUJvdGX4Oamt5hfx6J_wFcTzWEBUGz2n1HJtSbBkivj_p4/s1600/Royal+Body+Guards.jpg
  12. ^ https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxuu_FrECTHiNWkYv8Zb-nNQ04_ABntvGUky8UE-xrYCzwzMQqOpycxO9_lqb6_w9rjKdsjYZQRdM_uvYrm5TeVKtz18J93z5pYPWKFw0n-Q9XWq34OG7JKCkiVFdqIn2sL4h9WHMl7zb/s1600/Royal+Bhutan+police+graduates.jpg
  13. ^ https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_d6UAX-ezHDghv6StsBbUzBqNKNpnAxEIUvHoKq7Y-kdD3TyIZ_crEzxdAiQYgBAPHmqajNnGgEnAkXJsvLnbExNlvHiP-aCGwKgZjNOZ5TjxFG0yeztll8AjR1VZFVMdrD6Jp4Gvzmx/s1600/Bhutan+Army+02.jpg
  14. ^ https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcZcN8MmKi8P3aQtsYJTFx2XicP4UnY_5rOByBuvnNpEzaZiBb5P0LBEUuaywtJKXIDuJL0hWdOw5agSS7fTQLttCNwZ6t4RLujcYCQ4rLkUkCgZEaw-DiwA7v5GEvdbXl1BW54UUK6T8/s1600/bhutan_army_20031229.jpg
  15. ^ https://www.shutterstock.com/search/bhutan-army
  16. ^ https://www.bidlink.net/news/2019/06/m110-semi-automatic-sniper-system-m110-sass-7-62mm-sniper-rifle/#:~:text=M110%20Semi%20Automatic%20Sniper%20System,Middle%20East:%20Iraq%2C%20Turkey
  17. ^ https://www.facebook.com/unpeacekeeping/posts/did-you-know-bhutan-is-the-first-member-state-to-ever-sign-a-rapid-deployment-le/10155042867466003/
  18. ^ "The Bhutanese army has 10,000 people, including 7,000 from the King's Army, 2,000 from the King's Guards, and 1,000 from the armed police. There are also almost 40,000 to 60,000 reserves and militia, all of which are provided with training and weapons by India, including heavy we - military". daydaynews.cc. 2024-05-25. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
  19. ^ "ภาพการทดสอบ First Win 4×4 จำนวน 15 คันของภูฎาน ลูกค้าต่างชาติรายที่ 3". www.thaiarmedforce.com. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  20. ^ https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40038353
  21. ^ https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisb8iIjTLM9aDSkd0ETD_z3uMZHV4GWLV_y6kjgNJWK7kRXKgkG0fhFNpAuIg-RuNgoL3Iw8WkKBac7jqqguvEFke7aA6JmBphBqspKnDKEtOrbXvSKBOwFiQD62k7jfxrfqHucWkP5ol/s1600/Bhutan+soldier.jpg
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