the Armed Force of El Salvador (La Fuerza Armada de El Salvador, FAES): Army of El Salvador (Ejercito de El Salvador, ES), Navy of El Salvador (Fuerza Naval de El Salvador, FNES), Salvadoran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena, FAS); Ministry of Justice and Public Security: National Civil Police (Policia Nacional Civil, PNC) (2021)
Army of Guatemala (Ejercito de Guatemala): Land Forces (Fuerzas de Tierra), Naval Forces (Fuerza de Mar), and Air Force (Fuerza de Aire); Ministry of Interior: National Civil Police (Policia Nacional Civil; includes paramilitary units) (2021)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 16-22 years of age for voluntary male or female service; service obligation is 12 months, with 11 months for officers and NCOs (2012)
all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are eligible for military service; in practice, most of the force is volunteer, however, a selective draft system is employed, resulting in a small portion of 17-21 year-olds conscripted; conscript service obligation varies from 1 to 2 years; women can serve as officers (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.2% of GDP (2019)
1.1% of GDP (2018)
1% of GDP (2017)
1% of GDP (2016)
1% of GDP (2015)
0.4% of GDP (2019)
0.4% of GDP (2018)
0.4% of GDP (2017)
0.4% of GDP (2016)
0.4% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Armed Force of El Salvador (FAES) has approximately 21,000 active troops (17,000 Army; 2,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2021)
information varies; approximately 21,500 active personnel (19,000 Land Forces; 1,500 Naval Forces; 1,000 Air Forces); approximately 30,000 National Civil Police (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the FAES is dependent on a mix of mostly older imported platforms, largely from the US; since 2010, the FAES has received small amounts of equipment from Chile, Israel, Spain, and the US (2020)
the Guatemalan military inventory is small and mostly comprised of older US equipment; since 2010, Guatemala has received small amounts of equipment from Canada, Colombia, Spain, Taiwan, and the US (2020)
Military deployments
170 Mali (MINUSMA) (Jan 2021)
150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (Jan 2021)
