Military of the Gambia

The Gambian National Army numbers about 2,500. A new batch of 620 recruits have recently joined. Recruits receive training from the Turkish-Gambian Training Team.

The army consists of infantry battalions, the national guard, and the navy, all under the authority of the Department of State for Defence (a ministerial portfolio held by President Jammeh). Prior to the 1994 coup, the Gambian army received technical assistance and training from the United States, People's Republic of China, Nigeria, and Turkey. With the withdrawal of most of this aid, the army has received renewed assistance from Turkey, Pakistan and Taiwan and new assistance from Libya and others. Pakistan sent an 18-month advisory team (the Pakistan Armed Forces Advisory Mission, or PAFAM) composed of 1 brigadier, 1 naval captain and 1 group captain from the PAF.

Members of the Gambian military have participated in ECOMOG, the West African force deployed during the Liberian civil war beginning in 1990. Responsibilities for internal security and law enforcement rest with the Gambian police/gendarme force under the inspector general of police and the ministry of the interior.

All branches are jointly governed by a chief of defence staff, Lieutenant General Massaneh Kinteh, who succeeded Lieutenant General Lang Tombong Tamba who is currently on death row for involvement in a 2009 coup plot.

Military branches

Army

Strength has been estimated at about ~1,600. The Gambia National Army (GNA) has been an infantry force of two battalions, together with an engineering squadron and logistics, signals and intelligence units, plus the presidential guard company.^[1] The latter has upgraded its equipment to provide greater fire-power and mobility. It now has several armoured cars (two of which are based at State House) and heavier calibre vehicle-mounted weapons. It is not clear to which branches of the Gambian Armed Forces (GAF) new recruits are deployed. An amendment to The Gambia Armed Forces Bill in April 2008 included the creation of three new special units to expand the GAF: the republican guards, the national guards and special forces. There is also an HIV/AIDS prevention programme unit within the GAF.

It should be noted that the numbers in these units are small. The presidential guard company is probably a large platoon of about 50 and the infantry companies almost certainly number less than 100 personnel each armed with light weapons. Army service is voluntary.

Army equipment reportedly^{[citation needed]} includes:

• Sterling MK-4 9mm SMG (United Kingdom)
• FN-FAL 50-00 7.62mm SAR (Belgium)
• AKM\AK-47 Kalashnikov 7.62mm AR (USSR)
• FN-MAG 7.62mm LMG (Belgium)
• RPG-7V Light ATRL (USSR)
• 8xDaimler Ferret MK-I\I 4x4 ARV (United Kingdom)
• M101 105mm towed howitzer (United States)^{[citation needed]}

Other branches

• National Military Police
• National Guard
• Gambian Navy (~250) (4 Hai Ou-class fast attack craft, 2 hovercraft and several small vessels, berthed at GNS Jammeh naval base.

Military manpower - availability

• Males age 15-49: 306,359 (2000 est.)
• Fit for military service, males age 15-49: 154,432 (2000 est.)

Military expenditures

• $1 million (FY96/97)
• 2% of GDP (FY96/97)

Aircraft inventory

The Gambian army operates a single Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot attack jet. Gambia also has former retired Ukrainian helicopters that are non-functional. Recently, a batch of 4 Gambian soldiers received flying training in the Ukraine. A group captain from Pakistan has also submitted a framework, based on which a new Gambian air force can be established.^[2]

Current aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service	Notes
Sukhoi Su-25	USSR	Ground attack aircraft		1
Air Tractor AT-802	United States	COIN\CAS Aircraft		2
Ilyushin Il-62	USSR	Jet transport\VIP		1
Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander	United Kingdom	Light transport		1
Short Skyvan	United Kingdom	Light transport		1
SNIAS SA-330 Puma	France	Utility Helicopter		2

Notes

1. ^ Jane's World ARmies, 2011
2. ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.

References

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "2003 edition".

External links

• Ravi Rikhye, Gambia, Orbat.com, 2002

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