Introduction
How is the Military in Nicaragua and how does it work to maintain Sucity and fight terrorism? In terms of Military and security forces, we have the Armed Forces of Nicaragua (formal name is Army of Nicaragua or Ejercito de Nicaragua, EN): Land Forces (Fuerza Terrestre); Naval Forces (Fuerza Naval); Air Forces (Fuerza Aérea) (2024).
In Nicaragua, the military is responsible for defending Nicaragua’s independence, sovereignty, and territory, but also has some domestic security responsibilities; key tasks include border security, assisting the police, protecting natural resources, and providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance; it has ties with the militaries of Cuba, Venezuela, and Russia; Russia has provided training support and equipment
the modern Army of Nicaragua was created in 1979 as the Sandinista Popular Army (1979-1984); prior to 1979, the military was known as the National Guard, which was organized and trained by the US in the 1920s and 1930s; the first commander of the National Guard, Anastasio SOMOZA GARCIA, seized power in 1937 and ran the country as a military dictator until his assassination in 1956; his sons ran the country either directly or through figureheads until the Sandinistas came to power in 1979; the defeated National Guard was disbanded by the Sandinistas (2024)
the modern Army of Nicaragua was created in 1979 as the Sandinista Popular Army (1979-1984); prior to 1979, the military was known as the National Guard, which was organized and trained by the US in the 1920s and 1930s; the first commander of the National Guard, Anastasio SOMOZA GARCIA, seized power in 1937 and ran the country as a military dictator until his assassination in 1956; his sons ran the country either directly or through figureheads until the Sandinistas came to power in 1979; the defeated National Guard was disbanded by the Sandinistas (2024)
Security and military information of Nicaragua
| Military and security service personnel strengths | approximately 12,000 active personnel (10,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,200 Air Force) (2023) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the military's air and ground force inventories include mostly secondhand Russian or Soviet-era equipment; its naval force has a miscellaneous mix of patrol boats from several foreign suppliers, as well as some commercial vessels converted into gunboats domestically (2024) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; tour of duty 18-36 months (2024). |
| Military deployments | . |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2023 | 0.6% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2022 | 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2021 | 0.6% of GDP (2021 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2020 | 0.6% of GDP (2020 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2019 | 0.6% of GDP (2019 est.) |
All Important Facts about Nicaragua
Want to know more about Nicaragua? Check all different factbooks for Nicaragua below.
