Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea: Difference between revisions

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>

{{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>}}

| Acquired from the [[Czech Republic]] in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php|title=Trade Registers|website=armstrade.sipri.org}}</ref>

|[[MachineLight machine gun]]

The Equatorial Guinea Air Corps was founded in 1979 with mainly French and Spanish air frames. In 2005, 4 Su 25s including 2 Su-25UB combat trainers were delivered to the Equatorial Guinea Air Corps.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}} The current status of the aircraft is unknown.<ref>"[http://www.scramble.nl/gq.htm Equatorial Guinea National Guard]". ''Scramble.nl''. Retrieved: 3 January 2009. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081021053453/http://www.scramble.nl/gq.htm|date=21 October 2008}}</ref> In 2015 two [[CASA C-295]] (one transport and one surveillance) aircraft were ordered for delivery from September 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/equatorial-guinea-orders-two-c295-transports-421503/|title=Equatorial Guinea orders two C295 transports|last1=Stevenson|first1=Beth|date=2 February 2016|website=Flightglobal|accessdate=2 February 2016}}</ref>

! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;" data-ve-attributes="{&quot;style&quot;:&quot;text-align:center; background:#acc;&quot;}" |Aircraft

! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;" data-ve-attributes="{&quot;style&quot;:&quot;text-align: center; background:#acc;&quot;}" |Origin

! style="text-align:l center; background:#acc;" data-ve-attributes="{&quot;style&quot;:&quot;text-align:l center; background:#acc;&quot;}" |Type

! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;" data-ve-attributes="{&quot;style&quot;:&quot;text-align:left; background:#acc;&quot;}" |Variant

! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;" data-ve-attributes="{&quot;style&quot;:&quot;text-align:center; background:#acc;&quot;}" |In service

! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;" data-ve-attributes="{&quot;style&quot;:&quot;text-align: center; background:#acc;&quot;}" |Notes

! colspan="7" style="align: center; background: lavender;" data-ve-attributes="{&quot;style&quot;:&quot;align: center; background: lavender;&quot;}" |[[Military aircraft#Combat aircraft|Combat Aircraft]]

|[[Attack aircraft|attack]]

|4<ref name="World Air Forces 20222023">{{cite web |last = |first = |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/reports/world-air-forces-directory-2022/146695.articledownload?ac=90688|title = World Air Forces 20222023|work= |publisher= Flightglobal Insight|year= 20222023 |doi = |accessdate= 217 JanuaryDecember 2022|url-access=registration}}</ref>

! colspan="7" style="align: center; background: lavender;" data-ve-attributes="{&quot;style&quot;:&quot;align: center; background: lavender;&quot;}" |[[Military transport aircraft|Transport]]

|[[AntonovIlyushin 72Il-76]]

|2<ref name="World Air Forces 20222023"/>

! colspan="7" style="align: center; background: lavender;" data-ve-attributes="{&quot;style&quot;:&quot;align: center; background: lavender;&quot;}" |[[Helicopters]]

|[[Utility helicopter|utility]]

|1<ref name="World Air Forces 20222023"/>

|utility / [[Military transport helicopter|transport]]

|1<ref name="World Air Forces 20222023"/>

|[[MilHarbin MiZ-249 ]]

|[[RussiaChina]]

! colspan="7" style="align: center; background: lavender;" data-ve-attributes="{&quot;style&quot;:&quot;align: center; background: lavender;&quot;}" |[[Trainer (aircraft)|Trainer Aircraft]]

|[[jet trainer]]

|2<ref name="World Air Forces 20222023"/>

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"/>

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

|''Shaldag''- class

| Salamandra Classclass