Mozambique Military - 2024

Military and security forces

Armed Forces for the Defense of Mozambique (Forcas Armadas de Defesa de Mocambique, FADM): Mozambique Army (Ramo do Exercito), Mozambique Navy (Marinha de Guerra de Mocambique, MGM), Mozambique Air Force (Forca Aerea de Mocambique, FAM)

Ministry of Interior: Mozambique National Police (PRM), the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC), Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR; police special forces), Border Security Force; other security forces include the Presidential Guard and the Force for the Protection of High-Level Individuals (2024)

note 1: the FADM and other security forces are referred to collectively as the Defense and Security Forces (DFS)

note 2: the PRM, SERNIC, and the UIR are responsible for law enforcement and internal security; the Border Security Force is responsible for protecting the country’s international borders and for carrying out police duties within 24 miles of borders

note 3: the Presidential Guard provides security for the president, and the Force for the Protection of High-level Individuals provides security for senior-level officials at the national and provincial levels

Military expenditures

1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.2% of GDP (2019 est.)
1.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

information limited and varied; estimated 12,000 active personnel (11,000 Army and about 1,000 Air Force and Navy) (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FADM's inventory consists primarily of Soviet-era equipment, although in recent years it has received limited quantities of more modern equipment from a variety of countries, mostly as aid/donations (2023)

Military service age and obligation

registration for military service is mandatory for all men and women at 18 years of age; 18-35 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; 24-month service obligation (2023)

Military - note

the FADM is responsible for external security, cooperating with police on internal security, and responding to natural disasters and other emergencies; the current primary focus of the FADM is countering an insurgency driven by militants with ties to the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) terrorist group in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, an area known for rich liquid natural gas deposits; insurgent attacks in the province began in 2017 and the fighting has left an estimated 5,000 estimated dead and nearly 1 million displaced;  several countries from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the EU, as well as Rwanda and the US are providing various forms of military assistance to the FADM; the SADC countries and Rwanda have sent more than 3,000 military and security personnel, while some EU member states and the US have provided training assistance; in early 2024, the SADC began withdrawing personnel, although the insurgency remained active

the FADM’s Army is comprised largely of light infantry supplemented by several battalions of artillery and special forces; the Air Force has small numbers of Soviet-era combat aircraft and helicopters

in 2023, the Mozambique Government legalized local militias that have been assisting security forces operating in Cabo Delgado against Islamic militants since 2020; this Local Force is comprised of ex-combatants and other civilians and is to receive training, uniforms, weapons, and logistical support from the FADM (2023)