Military of Malawi

Military of Malawi
Flag of Malawi
Service branches	Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit)
Manpower
Military age	18
Reaching military age annually	803,777 males (2002 est.), 801,789 females (2002 est.)
Active personnel	5,300 (ranked 140th)
Expenditures
Budget	$9.5 million (FY00/01)
Percent of GDP	0.76% (FY00/01)

The Armed forces of Malawi are the state military organisation responsible for defending Malawi. They originated from British colonial units formed before independence in 1964.

Army structure

The Malawi Rifles was a unit in the Malawi army formed on the country's gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1964. Its first battalion was formed from the 1st Battalion, King's African Rifles. On independence the battalion became 1st Battalion, The Malawi Rifles (King's African Rifles). They were based (and elements still may be based) at Cobbe Barracks, Zomba.

On 6 July 1966 Malawi became a Republic and His Excellency The Hon. Dr. H. Kamuzu Banda became the first President of the new Republic. After the swearing in Ceremony his first duty was to present the Battalion with his own Presidential Colour and the new Regimental Colour.^[1]

The Malawi army is now made up of two rifle regiments and one parachute regiment. The military is organized under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. State Department IMET training documentation from FY 2003 indicates the United States trained army personnel from the 2nd Battalion, Malawi Rifles, 3rd Battalion, Malawi Rifles (Moyale Barracks), the Parachute Battalion, and the Combat Support Battalion (Mvera).^[2]

Equipment

• Sterling submachine gun MK-4  United Kingdom
• FN-FAL SAR  Belgium
• AKM AR  Soviet Union
• SIG SG-540 AR  Swiss
• H&KG-3 AR  Germany
• PK LMG  Soviet Union
• FN MAG LMG  Belgium
• Browning M2-HB HMG  United States
• L16A-1 81mm Mortar  United Kingdom
• LAW MK-80 Light ATRLs  United Kingdom
• RPG-7V Light ATRLs  Russia
• 10x T-55AM 100mm MBT  Soviet Union
• 70x Alvis Fox 30mm 4x4 ARV  United Kingdom
• 12x Panhard AML-90 90mm 4x4 ARV  France
• 13x Armscor Eland-90 90mm 4x4 ARV  South Africa
• 10x Daimler FV-702 Ferret MK2\2 4x4 ARV  United Kingdom
• 12x BRDM-2 4x4 ARV\APC  Soviet Union
• 12x Casspir 4x4 APC  South Africa
• 1x Rhino^{[disambiguation needed  South Africa}
• 5x BM-21 Grad 122mm MRL  Soviet Union
• 12x L118 105mm light-gun\howitzer  United Kingdom
• 1x Cymbeline artillery radar  United Kingdom
• 4x M102 105mm howitzer  United States
• M40A1-C1 106mm RCL  United States
• 14x Blowpipe MANPAD launchers\70 missiles  United Kingdom
• ZPU-4 14.4mm AAGs  Soviet Union
• Landrover 4x4  United Kingdom

Air force

The Malawi Air Force was established with German help in 1976 with the delivery of six single engined Dornier Do 27's and eight Do 28 light twins in 1976-1980. Also in the same era the air force received an Alouette III, an AS 350 and a AS 355 Ecureuil, as well as three SA 330 H/L Puma Helicopters from France. A single BAE 125-800 was delivered in 1986. Four Dornier Do 228 light twin turbo props were acquired between 1986 and 1989 in part to dispose of the older Dornier products. In 1990 two Douglas C-47's and PT6A turboprops were delivered from the US.

The Malawi Army Air Wing operates the following aircraft:^[3]

Aircraft inventory

Manufacturer	Model	Origin	Type	Service entry	Number	Notes
Dornier	Dornier 228	Germany	Tactical Transport	?	2?	Two confirmed in service 2006, possibly two more[3]
Hawker Siddeley	Hawker Siddeley HS-125	United Kingdom	VIP Transport	?	1	dasault falcon jet 900 series vip confrimed in service 2009
Eurocopter	SA 330 Puma	France	Multi-purpose helicopter	1976–1980	2
Eurocopter	Eurocopter Dauphin	France	Multi-purpose helicopter	1976–1980	1
British Aerospace	British Aerospace BAe 125	United Kingdom	Corporate jet	1986	1
Basler[disambiguation needed ]	Basler BT-67	United States	Cargo aircraft	1990	2
Dornier	Dornier Do 228	Germany	Light transport aircraft	1986–1989	4
Eurocopter	Eurocopter Ecureuil	France	Light utility helicopter	?	1	dasault falcon jet 900

Navy

Personnel year 2008: 225

• 2 patrol boats
• 1 LCU

Notes

1. ^ http://www.memoriesofrhodesia.com/pages/audio/troopingcolour.html
2. ^ http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/34329.pdf
3. ^ ^{a b} Malawian military aviation OrBat

References

• World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 337 Sheet 02
• World Aircraft Information Files. Brightstar Publishing, London. File 340 Sheet 05

External links

• Official website of the Ministry of Defence of Malawi