The Turkish Armed Forces are expanding their military training program for Somalia’s elite Gorgor Commandos to incorporate heavy armor and main battle tanks.
The specialized instruction marks a shift from asymmetric counter-insurgency tactics toward conventional armored maneuver warfare as Mogadishu prepares to assume full control of its domestic security.
The dual-track curriculum divides instruction between the TURKSOM Military Training Academy in Mogadishu and specialized commando schools in Isparta, Türkiye. While Turkish instructors have trained multiple infantry cohorts over the past decade, the addition of heavy armor mechanics and tactical maneuvering signifies a deepening bilateral defence architecture.
The program focuses extensively on operating Turkish-supplied equipment, blending older, refurbished main battle tanks with modern mine-resistant platforms.
The training pipeline directly supports recent hardware deliveries aimed at rebuilding the Somali National Army (SNA) ground capability. On 14 February 2026, the Turkish Navy landing ship TCG Sancaktar offloaded an estimated 10 to 15 M48 and M60 Patton main battle tanks at the Port of Mogadishu.
This shipment reintroduced tracked conventional armor to the SNA for the first time since the collapse of Somalia’s state institutions in the 1990s.
The tracked fleet operates alongside wheeled asset donations, including at least 20 BMC Kirpi Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles delivered in batches between 2020 and 2021.
The delivered vehicles include M48 Patton tanks previously operated by the Turkish Armed Forces.
Türkiye maintains an inventory of roughly 1,500 M48 tanks. A portion of these vehicles was modernized in the early 1990s and designated M48A5T1, while nearly half underwent further upgrades and received the M48A5T2 designation.
Source: Military.Africa
