Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea

Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox national military

The Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea (Template:Langx; Template:Langx; Template:Langx) consists of approximately 2,500 service members. The army has almost 1,400 soldiers, the navy 200 service members, and the air force about 120 members.Template:Citation needed 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">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Military appointments are all reviewed by President 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.

HistoryEdit

File:Equatorial Guinea Map.png

Map of Equatorial Guinea elaborated by CIA in 1992.

The Armed Forces were reorganized in 1979. In 1988, the United States donated a 68-foot patrol boat to the 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, 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. 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>

In 2002, an International Consortium of Investigative Journalists report said:

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EquipmentEdit

ArmourEdit

File:T-55 4.jpg

A T-55 Main Battle Tank

Name	Origin	Type	In service	Notes
Armored fighting vehicle
T-55	Soviet Union	Main battle tank	3<ref name=IISS>Template:Cite book</ref>
BRDM-2	Soviet Union	Armored scout car	6<ref name=IISS/>
BMP-1	Soviet Union	IFV	20<ref name=IISS/>	Acquired from the Czech Republic in 2007.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
BTR-152	Soviet Union	Armoured personnel carrier	10<ref name=IISS/>
Reva	South Africa	Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected	25<ref name=IISS/>
WZ-551	China	IFV		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Pantsir-S1	Russia	Anti-aircraft artillery	2<ref>Equatorial Guinea buys Pantsir S1 Air Defense System</ref><ref>Army-2017: Equatorial Guinea purchases two KBP's Pantsir-S1 air defense systems 2508172</ref>

File:RPG-7 detached.jpg

An RPG-7 Rocket-propelled grenade launcher

Small armsEdit

Name	Origin	Type
AKM	Soviet Union	Assault rifle
FN FAL	Belgium	Battle rifle
RPD	Soviet Union	Light machine gun
RPG-7	Soviet Union	Rocket-propelled grenade
Type 56	China	Assault rifle
SKS/Type 56 Carbine	Soviet Union/China	Semi-automatic carbine

AircraftEdit

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.Template:Citation needed The current status of the aircraft is unknown.<ref>"Equatorial Guinea National Guard". Scramble.nl. Retrieved: 3 January 2009. Template:Webarchive</ref> In 2015 two CASA C-295 (one transport and one surveillance) aircraft were ordered for delivery from September 2016.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:Antonov An-72P, Equatorial Guinea - Air Force AN1593110.jpg

An Antonov An-72P on lift off

Current inventoryEdit

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Combat aircraft
Sukhoi Su-25	Russia	attack		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Transport
Ilyushin Il-76	Soviet Union	heavy transport
Antonov AN-12	Soviet Union	heavy transport		1<ref name="World Air Forces 2023"/>
Antonov An-72	Soviet Union	transport	An-72P
Let L-410 Turbolet	Czech Republic	transport		2<ref name="World Air Forces 2023"/>
Helicopters
Kamov Ka-27	Russia	utility	Ka-29	1<ref name="World Air Forces 2023"/>
Mil Mi-26	Russia	utility / transport		1<ref name="World Air Forces 2023"/>
Harbin Z-9	China	utility	Z-9WE	2<ref>Las Fuerzas Armadas de Guinea Ecuatorial se dotan con dos helicópteros chinos Harbin Z-9</ref>
Trainer aircraft
Aero L-39	Czech Republic	jet trainer		2<ref name="World Air Forces 2023"/>

NavyEdit

File:US Navy 080202-N-8933S-006 Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1655 leads the Equatorial Guinea Navy in formation behind Africa Partnership Station (APS) flagship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), a dock landing ship, as they pass along the E.jpg

Joint U.S.-Equatorial Guinea naval exercises off the coast of Equatorial Guinea on February 2, 2008. Behind the American landing craft 1655 sail three Guinean patrol boats, the first being the patrol boat Daphne and the other two being Isla de Corisco and Isla de Annobon.

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The Equatorial Guinean main task is to counter piracy and robbery at sea. In July 2010, after the visit of Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, an order for a Barroso-class corvette was announced.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, Template:As of no further news has been announced.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 3 June 2014, the frigate Wele Nzas was commissioned and became the navy's flagship.<ref name="IHS Janes"/>

Vessel	Origin	Type	In service	Notes
Wele Nzas (F073)	Bulgaria	Frigate	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="IHS Janes">Template:Cite news</ref>	Ukrainian designed - modified locally<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Bata	Bulgaria	Corvette	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
PV-50	Ukraine	Patrol vessel	2<ref name="Equatorial Guinea commissions new frigate"/>
Isla de Corisco	Israel	Patrol boat	1<ref name="Equatorial Guinea commissions new frigate"/>	Template:Sclass2
Isla de Annobon	Israel	Patrol boat	1<ref name="Equatorial Guinea commissions new frigate"/>	Shaldag class
Sa'ar 4 class	Israel	Patrol boat	2<ref name="Peace Research Institute"/>
Osa	China	Landing ship	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Salamandra class
Daphne	Denmark	Patrol boat	1<ref name="Peace Research Institute"/>

Higher education and trainingEdit

On 6 November 2016, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces deployed a training contingent to the Equatorial Guinea to train the country's military officers on operational and logistic matters following an urgent request by the West African country. The security personnel contingent is composed of members of the Zimbabwe National Army and Air Force of Zimbabwe.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2018, 28 graduates from the military received diplomas from the Nakhimov Naval Academy in Sevastopol.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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