Tanzania People's Defense Forces (TPDF or Jeshi la Wananchi la Tanzania, JWTZ): Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force, National Building Army (Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa, JKT), People's Militia (Reserves); Ministry of Home Affairs paramilitary forces: Police Field Force (2021)
note: the National Building Army is a paramilitary organization under the Defense Forces that provides six months of military and vocational training to individuals as part of their two years of public service; after completion of training, some graduates join the regular Defense Forces while the remainder become part of the People's (or Citizen's) Militia
Malawi Defense Force (MDF): Army (includes marine unit), Air Force (established as a separate service August 2019; previously was an air wing under the Army) (2021)
Military service age and obligation
18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; 6-year commitment (2-year contracts afterwards); selective conscription for 2 years of public service (2021)
18 years of age for voluntary military service; high school equivalent required for enlisted recruits and college equivalent for officer recruits; initial engagement is 7 years for enlisted personnel and 10 years for officers (2021)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.3% of GDP (2019)
1.3% of GDP (2018)
1.1% of GDP (2017)
1.1% of GDP (2016)
1.1% of GDP (2015)
0.9% of GDP (2019)
0.9% of GDP (2018)
0.7% of GDP (2017)
0.6% of GDP (2016)
0.6% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Tanzania People's Defense Forces (TPDF) have an estimated 26,000 active personnel (22,000 Land Forces; 1,000 Naval Forces; 3,000 Air Force) (2020)
information varies; approximately 8,000 total personnel (including about 200 air and 200 marine forces) (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the TPDF inventory includes mostly Soviet-era and Chinese equipment; since 2010, China is the leading supplier of arms to the TPDF (2020)
the Malawi Defense Force inventory is comprised of mostly obsolescent or second-hand equipment from Europe and South Africa; since 2010, it has taken deliveries of limited amounts of mostly second-hand equipment from China, South Africa, and the UK, as well as non-lethal equipment donated by the US (2020)
Military deployments
450 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 775 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 120 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 330 Sudan (UNAMID) (Jan 2021)
700 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (Jan 2021)
