Introduction
How is the Military in Gambia and how does it work to maintain Sucity and fight terrorism? In terms of Military and security forces, we have the Gambian Armed Forces (GAF; aka Armed Forces of the Gambia): the Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambia Navy, Gambia Air Force, Republican National Guard (RNG)
Ministry of Interior: Gambia Police Force (GPF) (2025).
Ministry of Interior: Gambia Police Force (GPF) (2025).
In Gambia, the Gambian Armed Forces (GAF) are responsible for external defense and aiding civil authorities in internal emergencies and natural disaster relief; they participate in multinational peacekeeping missions, as well as domestic support activities such as agricultural development, construction, education, and health services; the Gambian security forces have a history of involvement in domestic politics, including multiple coup attempts and mutinies, with the latest being an attempted coup in 2022
since January 2017, several members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have provided security forces for Gambia's stability, plus assistance and training for the GAF and other Gambian security forces through the ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia (ECOMIG); as of 2025, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal were providing military and gendarmerie personnel for ECOMIG (2025)
since January 2017, several members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have provided security forces for Gambia's stability, plus assistance and training for the GAF and other Gambian security forces through the ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia (ECOMIG); as of 2025, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal were providing military and gendarmerie personnel for ECOMIG (2025)
Security and military information of Gambia
| Military and security service personnel strengths | estimated 3,000-4,000 active Gambian Armed Forces (2025) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the military of Gambia has a limited inventory of mostly older, obsolescent, or donated equipment originating from several suppliers, including Taiwan, Turkey, the UK, and the US (2024) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18-25 years of age for voluntary service for men and women (18-22 for officers); no conscription; service obligation six months (2024). |
| Military deployments | . |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2024 | 0.6% of GDP (2024 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2023 | 0.6% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2022 | 0.7% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2021 | 0.8% of GDP (2021 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2020 | 0.8% of GDP (2020 est.) |
All Important Facts about Gambia
Want to know more about Gambia? Check all different factbooks for Gambia below.
