Military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Military of Democratic Republic of Congo
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower
Availability	males ages 18-49: 11,052,696 (2005 est)
Fit for military service	males age 18-49: 5,851,292 (2005 est.)
Active troops	97,800 (Ranked 44th)
Military expenditures
Dollar figure	$93.5 million (2004)
Percent of GDP	1.5% (2004)

The military of the Democratic Republic of Congo is currently in the rebuilding process after the Second Congo War officially ended in July 2003. Rwandan- and Ugandan-created militias have hampered the formation of the new national army by their refusal to disband. The military is one of the most unstable in the region after years of war and underfunding. It is prone to defections. The government in Kinshasa and the U.N. are attempting to create a viable force with the ability to perform all tasks it is entrusted with, the most important being bringing stability and security to the nation.

There are currently over 16,000 United Nations peacekeepers based in Congo, the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to assist Congolese authorities in maintaining security. In recent events the military has made it clear to Rwanda and Uganda they will defend their borders from any future incursions by either nation, which could further strain attempts to rebuild the nation's already battered security structure.

1 Organization
2 Resources
3 Aircraft inventory
4 References
5 See also

[edit] Organization

The current organization of the Congo's military establishment is very vague owing to lack of information; it has been made more difficult because of the current reforms being undertaken by the Congo security forces. It is known to be broken up into the Army, Navy and Air Force; however, no official names seem to be available owing to the reform process. In addition to the three standard parts, the military of the DRC is also comprised of a Republican Guard, formerly known as the Special Presidential Security Group (GSSP).

[edit] Resources

A key issue for the Congo's military is the lack of resources. The lack of money restricts the capabilities by not allowing the proper training, payment and weapons to be given to the military. It has been an ongoing issue ever since the U.S. and most of its allies cut support for the government of Mobutu at the end of Cold War and the increasing amount of human rights abuses carried out by his security forces. Although the Democratic Republic of the Congo maintains vast natural resources its economy has been torn apart by conflict and corruption. The infrastructure has been widely destroyed, thereby restricting the mobility and logistical ability of any new Congolese national military establishment.

[edit] Aircraft inventory

All military aircraft in the DRC are operated by the Air Force.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service^[1]
Aermacchi MB-326	Italy	trainer attack	MB 326GB MB 326K	8 6
Aermacchi SF-260	Italy	trainer	SF 260M	5
Aérospatiale Alouette III	France	utility helicopter	SA 316B	2
Aérospatiale Puma	France	transport helicopter	SA 330	4
Antonov An-26	Ukraine	tactical transport		1
Britten-Norman Islander	United Kingdom	utility transport	BN-2A	1
Cessna 150	United States	utility		12
Cessna 310	United States	utility		3
de Havilland Canada DHC-5	Canada	tactical transport	DHC-5D Buffalo	2
Douglas DC-3	United States	tactical transport	C-47	4
Eurocopter Cougar	France	transport helicopter	AS 332	1
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	United States	tactical transport	C-130H	2
Mikoyan MiG-23	Russia	fighter		2
Mil Mi-24	Russia	attack helicopter		6
Mil Mi-26	Russia	transport helicopter		1
Reims Cessna 337	France	liaison	FTB 337 MILROLE	10
Sukhoi Su-25	Russia	attack		4

[edit] References

^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.

[edit] See also

This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook (2003 edition) which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain.
Democratic Republic of the Congo