Syria Military - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Military and security forces

Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Naval Forces, Syrian Air Forces, Syrian Air Defense Forces, National Defense Forces (pro-government militia and auxiliary forces) (2021)

note: the Syrian government is working to demobilize militias or integrate them into its regular forces

Military and security service personnel strengths

N/A; since the start of the civil war in 2011, the Syrian Armed Forces (SAF) have taken significant losses in personnel; prior to the civil war, the SAF had approximately 300,000 active troops, including 200-225,000 Army; by 2018, its estimated size was reportedly less than 100,000 due to casualties and desertions; currently, the SAF is trying to rebuild and integrate government-allied militias and auxiliary forces while continuing to engage in active military operations (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the SAF's inventory is comprised mostly of Russian and Soviet-era equipment; since 2010, Russia has supplied nearly all of Syria's imported weapons systems, although China and Iran have also provided military equipment (2020)

Military service age and obligation

18-42 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2019)

Military - note

the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) has operated in the Golan between Israel and Syria since 1974 to monitor the ceasefire following the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and supervise the areas of separation between the two countries; as of late 2020, UNDOF consisted of about 1,100 military personnel

NOTE: The information regarding Syria on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Syria 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Syria 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.