Introduction
How is the Military in Gabon and how does it work to maintain Sucity and fight terrorism? In terms of Military and security forces, we have the Gabonese Armed Forces (Force Armées Gabonaise or FAG; aka National Defense and Security Forces of Gabon or des Forces Nationales de Défense et de Sécurité (FNDS) du Gabon): Army (Armée de Terre, AT), Navy (Marine Nationale, MN), Air Force (l'Armée de l'Air, AA), Light Aviation (L’Aviation Légère des Armées, ALA), Fire Brigade (du Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers); National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Gabonaise, GENA); Republican Guard (Garde Républicaine, GR); Military Health Service (Service de Santé Militaire, SSM); Military Engineering (Génie Militaire) (2025).
In Gabon, the Gabonese military is a small and lightly armed force that is responsible for both external and internal security; the military may also participate in the economic and social development work of the nation; key defense priorities include securing the country's borders and maritime domain; it has contributed to regional peacekeeping and joint security operations; in August 2023, officers from the Republican Guard seized control of the government and placed the president under arrest (2025)
Security and military information of Gabon
| Military and security service personnel strengths | approximately 7,000 active-duty Armed Forces including the Republican Guard and Gendarmerie (2025) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the Gabonese military has a mix of older and more modern weapons and equipment from a variety of suppliers including Brazil, China, France, Germany, Russia/former Soviet Union, and South Africa (2024) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2024). |
| Military deployments | . |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2024 | 1.5% of GDP (2024 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2023 | 1.3% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2022 | 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2021 | 1.7% of GDP (2021 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2020 | 1.8% of GDP (2020 est.) |
All Important Facts about Gabon
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