Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea: Difference between revisions

| native_name = {{langubl|{{nativename|es|Fuerzas Armadas de Guinea Ecuatorial}}|{{nativename|fr|Forces armées de la Guinée équatoriale}}|{{nativename|pt|Forças Armadas da Guiné Equatorial}}}}

The '''Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea''' ({{lang-es|Fuerzas Armadas de Guinea Ecuatorial}}; {{lang-fr|Forces armées de la Guinée équatoriale}}; {{lang-pt|Forças Armadas da Guiné Equatorial}}) 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.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}} 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.<ref name="Equatorial Guinea">{{cite web |url= http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30337:equatorial-guinea&catid=119:african-militaries|title = Equatorial Guinea |publisher= Flightglobal Insight |access-date= 20 June 2015}}</ref> Military appointments are all reviewed by President [[Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo|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]].

The Armed Forces were reorganized in 1979. In 1988, the [[United States]] donated a 68-foot patrol boat to the [[Navy of Equatorial Guinea|Equatoguinean navy]] to patrol its exclusive economic zone. The U.S. patrol boat ''Isla de Bioko'' is no longer operational.<ref>U.S. Department of State, [https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/equatorialguinea/26446.htm Equatorial Guinea Background Note 01/02]</ref> 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]].<ref>Cooper and Weinert 2010, p142</ref>

In 2002, aan [[International Consortium of Investigative Journalists]] report said:

{{quoteBlockquote|"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."<ref>[[Sunday Dare]], [http://projects.publicintegrity.org/bow/report.aspx?aid=151 The Curious Bonds of Oil Diplomacy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613100332/http://projects.publicintegrity.org/bow/report.aspx?aid=151 |date=13 June 2010 }}, Center for Public Integrity, 6 November 2002</ref>}}

! style="text-align:center; background:#aabccc;"|Name

! style="text-align: center; background:#aabccc;"|Origin

! style="text-align:l center; background:#aabccc;"|Type

! style="text-align:l center; background:#aabccc;"|In service

! style="text-align: center; background:#aabccc;"|Notes

! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | [[Armored fighting vehicle]]

| [[T-54/T-55|T-55]]

| [[Soviet Union]]

| [[Main battle tank]]

| 3<ref name="MilitaryIISS>{{cite Balancebook |last=[[International Institute for Strategic Studies]]|date=2021|title=The 2017">Military Balance 2017|page=463|isbn=9781032012278}}</ref>

| [[BMPBRDM-12]]

| [[Soviet Union]]

|20 6<ref name="Military Balance 2017"IISS/>

| [[BTRBMP-1521]]

| [[Soviet Union]]

| [[ArmouredInfantry personnelfighting carriervehicle]]

|10 20<ref name="Military Balance 2017"IISS/>

| [[BRDM-2Reva APC|Reva]]

| [[SovietSouth UnionAfrica]]

|6 25<ref name="Military Balance 2017"IISS/>

! style="text-align:center; background:#aabccc;"|Name

! style="text-align: center; background:#aabccc;"|Origin

! style="text-align: center; background:#aabccc;"|Type

! style="text-align: center; background:#aabccc;"|Notes

|[[MachineLight machine gun]]

==== Current inventory ====

! style="text-alignbackground:center#acc;" |Aircraft

! style="text-alignbackground: center#acc;" |Origin

! style="text-alignbackground:l center#acc;" |Type

! style="text-alignbackground:left#acc;" |Variant

! style="text-alignbackground:center#acc;" |In service

! style="text-alignbackground: center#acc;" |Notes

! colspan="7" style="align: center;" colspan="7background: lavender;" | [[Military aircraft#Combat aircraft|Combat aircraftAircraft]]

| [[Sukhoi Su-25]]

| [[Russia]]

| [[Attack aircraft|attack]]

| 4<ref name="World Air Forces 20202023">{{cite web |last = |first = |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/reports/world-air-forces-2020/135665.articledownload?ac=90688|title = World Air Forces 20202023|work= |publisher= Flightglobal Insight |year= 20202023 |doi = |access-dateaccessdate= 17 MarchDecember 20202022|url-access=registration}}</ref>

! colspan="7" style="align: center;" colspan="7background: lavender;" | [[Military transport aircraft|Transport]]

| [[AntonovIlyushin AnIl-7276]]

| [[UkraineSoviet Union]]

| Heavyheavy transport

| 1<ref name="World Air Forces 20202023"/>

| [[MilLet MiL-24410 Turbolet]]

| [[RussiaCzech Republic]]

| 72<ref name="World Air Forces 20202023"/>

| 1<ref name="World Air Forces 20202023"/>

| [[AeroHarbin LZ-399 Albatros|Aero L-39]]

| [[Czech RepublicChina]]

The Equatorial Guinean main task is to counter piracy and robbery at sea. In July 2010, after the visit of [[Brazil]]ian president [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]], an order for a [[Brazilian corvette Barroso (V34)|''Barroso''-class]] [[corvette]] was announced.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alide.com.br/joomla/index.php/capa/75-extra/1419-lula-anuncia-venda-de-navio-da-classe-barroso-para-guine-equatorial|title=Lula anuncia venda de navio da classe Barroso para Guiné Equatorial|author=Felipe Salles|access-date=23 October 2014|archive-date=18 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818040910/http://www.alide.com.br/joomla/index.php/capa/75-extra/1419-lula-anuncia-venda-de-navio-da-classe-barroso-para-guine-equatorial|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-07-19|title=Equato Guinea inks corvette deal with Brazil: report|url=https://www.defenceweb.co.za/sea/sea-sea/equato-guinea-inks-corvette-deal-with-brazil-report/|access-date=2021-03-08|website=defenceWeb|language=en-ZA}}</ref> However, {{as of|2014|lc=yes}} no further news has been announced.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pryce|first=Paul|title=Africa's Newest Navy|url=https://natoassociation.ca/africas-newest-navy/|access-date=2021-03-08|website=NAOC|language=en-US}}</ref> On 3 June 2014, the frigate ''Wele Nzas'' was commissioned and became the navy's flagship.<ref name="IHS Janes"/>

! style="text-align:center; background:#aabccc;"|Vessel

! style="text-align: center; background:#aabccc;"|Origin

! style="text-align:l center; background:#aabccc;"|Type

! style="text-align:l center; background:#aabccc;"|In service

! style="text-align: center; background:#aabccc;"|Notes

| Ukraine/[[Bulgaria]]

| [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] designed, partially Bulgarian-built, andmodified modified[[Equatorial Guinea|locally]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-06-24|title=Equatorial Guinea commissions new frigate|url=https://www.defenceweb.co.za/sea/sea-sea/equatorial-guinea-commissions-new-frigate/|access-date=2021-03-08|website=defenceWeb|language=en-ZA}}</ref>

| Ukraine/Bulgaria

|1<ref name="AMI pdf">{{Cite web|date=2017|title=Africa 2017: Patrol Boat Requirements Shaping an Emergent Market|url=https://www.amiinter.com/pdf/Africa_Patrol_Boat_2017.pdf|page=41|url-status=live|website=AMI International|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817011449/http://amiinter.com/pdf/Africa_Patrol_Boat_2017.pdf |archive-date=17 August 2018 }}</ref>

| Commissioned in 2012; based on OPV-88 Ukrainian design, built in Bulgaria<ref name="IHS Janes"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea (Fuerzas Armadas de Guinea Ecuatorial)|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/africa/gq-fage-armada.htm|access-date=2021-03-08|website=www.globalsecurity.org}}</ref>

|[[{{sclass2|Shaldag-class fast |patrol boat|''Shaldag''-class]]4}}

|''Shaldag''- class

| ''SalamandraOsa''