Botswana vs. Zambia

Military

	Botswana	Zambia
Military branches	Botswana Defence Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Arm Command, Defense Logistics Command (2021)	Zambia Defense Force (ZDF): Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force, Zambia National Service (support organization that also does public work projects); Defense Force Medical Service; the Zambia Police includes a paramilitary battalion (2021)
Military service age and obligation	18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)	18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (16 with parental consent); no conscription; 12-year enlistment period (7 years active, 5 in the Reserves) (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.8% of GDP (2019) 2.8% of GDP (2018) 3% of GDP (2017) 3.4% of GDP (2016) 2.7% of GDP (2015)	1.2% of GDP (2019) 1.3% of GDP (2018) 1.3% of GDP (2017) 1.5% of GDP (2016) 1.7% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths	the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) has approximately 9,000 active personnel (2021)	the Zambia Defense Force (ZDF) has approximately 16,500 active troops (15,000 Army; 1,500 Air) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions	the BDF has a mix of foreign-supplied and mostly older weapons and equipment, largely from Europe and the US; since 2010, France is the leading supplier of armaments to the BDF (2020)	the ZDF's inventory is largely comprised of Chinese, Russian, and Soviet-era armaments, with a small mix of Israeli, South African, and US equipment; since 2010, China is the leading supplier of arms to Zambia (2020)

Source: CIA Factbook