Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea

Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea
Fuerzas Armadas de Guinea Ecuatorial

Coat of arms of Equatorial Guinea
Service branches Army, Navy, Air Wing
Leadership
President of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
Manpower
Conscription 18 years of age, 2 years selective compulsory service
Available for
military service		 136,725 males, age 16–49,
138,018 females, age 16–49
Fit for
military service		 105,468 males, age 16–49,
107,919 females, age 16–49
Reaching military
age annually		 6,983 males,
6,726 females
Active personnel 2,400
Expenditures
Percent of GDP 0.1% (2006 est.)
Industry
Foreign suppliers  United States of America
 China
 France
 Italy
 Spain
 Cuba
 North Korea

The Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea (in Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas de Guinea Ecuatorial) consists of approximately 2,500 service members. The army has almost 1,400 soldiers, the police 400 paramilitary men, the navy 200 service members, and the air force about 120 members. There is also a Gendarmerie, but the number of members is unknown. The Gendarmerie is a new branch of the service in which training and education is being supported by the French Military Cooperation in Equatorial Guinea.[1] Military appointments are all reviewed by President Teodoro Obiang, and few of the native militiamen come from outside of Obiang's Mongomo-based Esangui clan. Obiang was a general when he overthrew his uncle, Francisco Macías Nguema.

Overall the military is poorly trained and equipped. It has mostly small arms, RPGs, and mortars. Almost none of its Soviet-style light-armored vehicles or trucks are operational.

The Armed Forces were reorganized in 1979. In 1988, the United States donated a 68-foot patrol boat to the Equatoguinean navy to patrol its exclusive economic zone. The U.S. patrol boat Isla de Bioko is no longer operational.[2] U.S. military-to-military engagement has been dormant since 1997 (the year of the last Joint Combined Exchange Training exercise). Between 1984 and 1992, service members went regularly to the United States on the International Military Education Training program, after which funding for this program for Equatorial Guinea ceased. The government spent 6.5% of its annual budget on defense in 2000 and 4.5% of its budget on defense in 2001. It recently acquired some Chinese artillery pieces, some Ukrainian patrol boats, and some Ukrainian helicopter gunships. The number of paved airports in Equatorial Guinea can be counted on one hand, and as such the number of airplanes operated by the air force is small. The Equatoguineans rely on foreigners to operate and maintain this equipment as they are not sufficiently trained to do so. Cooper and Weinert 2010 says that all aircraft are based on the military side of Malabo International Airport.[3]

In 2002, a report said "The oil companies do not view Equatorial Guinea's military – a product of decades of brutal dictatorial rule – with much confidence. The army is believed to have only about 1,320 men under arms, the navy 120, and the air force 100. Seven of the army's nine generals are relatives of the president; the other two are from his tribe. There is no clear command structure, the level of discipline is low, and professionalism and training are almost non-existent, according to locals and foreign oil workers. Even the presidential guard – an indication of the lack of trust in the country's forces – is composed of 350 Moroccan troops."[4] One general may be General Agustin Ndong Ona, reported in 2004.

In July 2010, after the visit of Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the sale of a Barroso-class corvette to be constructed in Brazil was announced.[5]

Equipment

Armor

Name Origin Type In service Notes
Armored fighting vehicle
BTR-152 Soviet Union APC 10[1]
T-54/55 Soviet Union Main battle tank 3[1]
BMP-1 Soviet Union Infantry fighting vehicle 20 [1] former Czech military
BTR-70 Soviet Union amphibious scout vehicle 8[1]
Ural-4320[1] Russia multi purpose truck
Artillery
PM-43[1] Soviet Union 120mm mortar

Small arms

Aircraft

Current inventory

An Antonov An-72P on lift off
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat Aircraft
Su-25 Russia attack 4[6]
Transport
An-72 Ukraine heavy transport 1[6]
Helicopters
Ka-27 Russia utility Ka-29 1[6]
Mil Mi-26 Russia utility / transport 1[6]
Mil Mi-24 Russia attack Mi-35 7[6]
Trainer Aircraft
L-39 Czech Republic jet trainer 2[6]

On 26 January 2016 the Air Force of Equatorial Guinea signed a contract for the delivery of two CASA C-295 transport aircraft, the first as a troop transport and the second for maritime surveillance to be delivery in 2017.[7]

Navy

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Equatorial Guinea". Flightglobal Insight. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  2. ↑ U.S. Department of State, Equatorial Guinea Background Note 01/02
  3. ↑ Cooper and Weinert 2010, p142
  4. ↑ Sunday Dare, The Curious Bonds of Oil Diplomacy, Center for Public Integrity, November 6, 2002
  5. ↑ Felipe Salles. "Lula anuncia venda de navio da classe Barroso para Guiné Equatorial". Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "World Air Forces 2015 pg. 15". Flightglobal Insight. 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Military News and Updates". Scramble. Dutch Aviation Society. March 2016. p. 65. ISSN 0927-3417.
  8. ↑ http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35203:equatorial-guinea-commissions-new-frigate&catid=51:Sea&Itemid=106
  9. ↑ "Defense & Security Intelligence & Analysis: IHS Jane's - IHS". Retrieved 23 October 2014.

References

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Further reading

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