Introduction
How is the Military in Namibia and how does it work to maintain Sucity and fight terrorism? In terms of Military and security forces, we have the Namibian Defense Force (NDF): Namibian Army, Namibian Navy, Namibian Air Force (2025).
In Namibia, the NDF’s primary responsibility is defending Namibia's territorial integrity and national interests; other responsibilities include support to civil authorities and participating in peace and stability missions under the African Union, Southern African Development Community, and the UN; Namibia has bilateral defense ties with several countries, including Botswana, India, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia
the NDF was created in 1990, largely from demobilized former members of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) and the South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF); the PLAN was the armed wing of the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), while SWATF was an auxiliary of the South African Defense Force and comprised the armed forces of the former South West Africa, 1977-1989; from 1990-1995, the British military assisted with the forming and training the NDF (2025)
the NDF was created in 1990, largely from demobilized former members of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) and the South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF); the PLAN was the armed wing of the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), while SWATF was an auxiliary of the South African Defense Force and comprised the armed forces of the former South West Africa, 1977-1989; from 1990-1995, the British military assisted with the forming and training the NDF (2025)
Security and military information of Namibia
| Military and security service personnel strengths | estimated 12,000 active Namibian Defense Forces (2025) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the NDF's inventory consists mostly of Soviet-era weapons and equipment; over the past decade, it has received a limited number of newer weapons systems from China and South Africa; Namibia has a small defense industry that produces items such as armored personnel carriers (2025) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18-25 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2026). |
| Military deployments | . |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2024 | 2.8% of GDP (2024 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2023 | 2.8% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2022 | 3% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2021 | 3% of GDP (2021 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2020 | 3.4% of GDP (2020 est.) |
All Important Facts about Namibia
Want to know more about Namibia? Check all different factbooks for Namibia below.
