Military Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Militares de Colombia): National Army (Ejercito Nacional), Republic of Colombia Navy (Armada Republica de Colombia, ARC; includes Coast Guard), Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia, FAC); Colombian National Police (civilian force that is part of the Ministry of Defense) (2021)
Ecuadorian Armed Forces: the Ecuadorian Army (El Ejército Ecuatoriano), Ecuadorian Navy (Fuerza Naval del Ecuador, FNE, includes naval infantry, naval aviation, coast guard), Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE); Ministry of Interior: National Police (Policía Nacional del Ecuador) (2021)
Military service age and obligation
18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months (2019)
18 years of age for selective conscript military service; conscription has been suspended; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; Ecuadorian birth requirement; 1-year service obligation; females have been allowed to serve in all branches since 2012 (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
3.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
3.2% of GDP (2019)
3.1% of GDP (2018 est.)
3.2% of GDP (2017)
3.1% of GDP (2016)
2.3% of GDP (2019)
2.4% of GDP (2018)
2.4% of GDP (2017)
2.5% of GDP (2016)
2.6% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Military Forces of Colombia (FMC) have approximately 295,000 total active troops (235,000 Army; 45,000 Navy, including about 22,000 marines; 14,000 Air Force); approximately 185,000 Colombian National Police (2021)
the Ecuadorian Armed Forces have approximately 40,000 active personnel (25,000 Army; 9,000 Navy; 6,000 Air Force) (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Colombian military inventory includes a wide mix of equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Brazil, Canada, Europe, Israel, South Korea, and the US; Germany, Israel, and the US are the leading suppliers of military hardware since 2010; Colombia's defense industry is active in producing air, land, and naval platforms (2020)
the military's equipment inventory is mostly older and derived from a wide variety of sources; since 2010, Ecuador has received limited amounts of military equipment from more than 15 countries with Brazil, South Africa, and Spain as the leading suppliers (2020)
