Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Togolese Army (l'Armee de Terre), Togolese Navy (Forces Naval Togolaises), Togolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air), National Gendarmerie (2021)
Armed Forces of Burkina Faso (FABF): Army of Burkina Faso (L'Armee de Terre, LAT), Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso, FABF), National Gendarmerie; Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (a civilian defense force established in 2019 to act as auxiliaries to the military in the fight against militants) (2021)
note: the National Gendarmerie officially reports to the Ministry of Defense, but usually operates in support of the Ministry of Security and the Ministry of Justice; Gendarmerie troops are typically integrated with Army forces in anti-terrorism operations; for example, Gendarmerie, Army, and police forces were combined to form a 1,500-member task force known as the Groupement des Forces Anti-Terroristes (GFAT) to address terrorist activities along the country's northern border in 2013
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for military service; 2-year service obligation; the military is an all-volunteer force (2021)
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women may serve in supporting roles (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
2% of GDP (2020 est.)
3.1% of GDP (2019)
2% of GDP (2018)
1.9% of GDP (2017)
1.8% of GDP (2016)
2.4% of GDP (2019)
2.1% of GDP (2018)
1.4% of GDP (2017)
1.2% of GDP (2016)
1.3% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Togolese Armed Forces (FAT) are comprised of approximately 9,000 personnel (2021)
the Armed Forces of Burkina Faso (FABF) have approximately 12,000 personnel (7,000 Army; 500 Air Force; 4,500 National Gendarmerie) (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the FAT's small inventory is a mix of older equipment from a variety of countries, including Brazil, France, Germany, Russia/former Soviet Union, the UK, and the US; since 2010, France is the leading supplier of military hardware to Togo (2020)
the FABF has a mix of foreign-supplied weapons; since 2010, it has received limited amounts of mostly donated second-hand equipment from more than 10 countries (2020)
