Angolan Armed Forces
Index
1. Order of battle
2. Angolan Armed Forces Overview
3. Defence economics
4. State of military forces
5. Country threat report
1. Angolan Armed Forces Order of Battle
| Total force strength | Army: 70 000 (+ 30 000 in reserve) Air Force: 6 000 Navy: 1 000 Paramilitary: 10 000 Rapid Reaction Police Total: 87 000 (+ 30 000 reserve) |
| Angolan Army | |
| Armour | 66: T-54 50: T-55 18: T-62 22: T-72 12: PT-76 |
| APC/IFV/Recce | 600: BRDM-2 80: BRDM-1/2 250: BMP-1/2/3 62: BTR-60/152/OT-62 60: BMP 60 |
| Artillery | 2S1 Carnation 122 mm (Mobile) 2S3 152 mm (Mobile) 2S7 203 mm (Mobile) M1942 76 mm D84 85 mm D20 152 mm D30 122 mm M46 130 mm |
| Mortar | 250: 81mm 500: 120mm |
| MRL | 75: BM-21/24 40: RM-70 |
| Anti armour | AT-3 Sagger, AT-4 Spigot |
| Rocket launcher | RPG-7 |
| Air defence | 500: SA 7/14/16 (Missile) ZPU-4 (14.5mm) ZU-23-2 (23mm) ZSU-23-4 (23 mm) M-1939 (37 mm) S-60 (57 mm) M-55 (20 mm) |
| Forces by role Armoured/Infantry Infantry |
42 regiments 16 independent brigades |
| Angolan National Air Force | |
| Combat aircraft | +/- 14: Su-22 +/- 12: Su-24 8: Su-25 (12 originally) 6: Su-27 (18 originally) 10: Mig-21bis/MF (25 originally) 10: Mig-23ML (17 originally) 8: Mig-23BN |
| Trainer aircraft | 14: EMB-312 Tucano 6: A-29 Super Tacano (first three handed over January 31, 2013) 6: L-29 2: L-39C 9/5: PC-7/-9 6: Yak-11 3: Cessna 172 |
| Transport aircraft | 1: C-130 6: An-12 2: An-24 12: An-26 3: An-32 8: An-72 6: C-212 4: PC-6 1: IL-62 2: Il-76TD Candid (a third crashed in 2009) 8: BN-2A Islander 1: Gulfstream III 1: Boeing 707-321B |
| VIP aircraft | 1: EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 |
| Maritime patrol | 2: EMB-111 MP 2: EMB 110 1: F27 400MPA |
| Combat helicopter | 15: Mi-25/35 |
| Transport helicopter | 22: Mi-8 12: Mi-17 8: AS-565 Panther 15: SA 316 Alouette III 2: SA 315B Lama 4: SA-342M Gazelle 8: Bell 212 |
| Major air bases | Catumbela-Lobito, Huambo, Cuito, Luena, Menongue, Mocademes, Luanda |
| Structure | Three military regions: North (RMN), Centre (RMC) and South (RMS) RMN houses most tranpsort units and combat helicopters. RMC houses combat helicopters and fighter bombers while RMS houses fighters and trainers. |
| Air defence | 40: SA-2 12: SA-3 25: SA-6 15: SA-8 20: SA-9 10: SA-13 |
| Angolan Navy | |
| Fast Attack Craft | 4: Mandume class (Bazan Cormoran type, refurbished in 2009. The four boats are the Mandume, Polar, Atlantico and Golfinho) |
| Patrol boats | 3: Patrulheiro 5: ARESA PVC-170 2: Namacurra class (operated by the Navy and Fisheries Ministry) |
| Fisheries patrol | Ngola Kiluange and Nzinga Mbandi delivered from Damen Shipyards in September and October 2012, followed by a 28 metre FRV 2810 (Pensador). [These patrol boats are operated by Navy personnel under the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries] |
| Landing craft | 1-3: LDM-400 (often unserviceable) |
| Structure | Three Coastal surveillance companies (CRTOC) equipped with radars and mobile telecommunications Naval War Institute (ISNG): provides training and advanced courses Naval Academy Naval Specialist School Naval Infantry Unit: Angola’s Navy has a brigade sized unit of Marines capable of fielding a quick deployment Light Amphibious Battalion (BLD). The 700-strong brigade is made up of four Marine companies, 1 Naval Police unit and 1 Amphibious Operations unit. There are also Special Forces, heavy weapons, sniper and boarding units and an armoured section |
2. Angolan Armed Forces overview
Minister of Defence: Joao Lourenco
Chief of General Staff: Army General Geraldo Sachipengo Nunda
Member of: UN, AfDB, AU
Structure: Angola’s President is Commander-in-Chief of the Angolan Armed Forces. Conscription is 24 months.
3. Angolan defence economics
Defence budget percentage per GDP (2000-2010)
Defence budget per US$ Mil (2000-2011)
Defence budget percentage growth (2000-2011)
4. State of military forces
Angola has one of the largest militaries on the African continent, with one of the largest air forces and armies. Although large in numerical terms and theoretically well equipped, the Angolan Armed Forces suffer from inadequate maintenance. A large proportion of Angola’s air force (FAN) is in a state of disrepair due to a lack of maintenance or is in storage.
The Angolan Navy (MGA) has been neglected and ignored as a military arm mainly due to the guerrilla struggle against the Portuguese and the nature of the civil war. From the early 1990s to the present the Angolan Navy has shrunk from around 4 200 personnel to around 1 000, resulting in the loss of skills and expertise needed to maintain equipment. In order to protect Angola’s 1 600 km long coastline, the Angolan Navy is undergoing modernisation but is still lacking in many ways. Portugal has been providing training through its Technical Military Cooperation (CTM) programme. With regard to procurement, the Navy has a request for a frigate, three corvettes, three offshore patrol vessel and additional fast patrol boats.
Angola is spending about 9% of the government budget on defence as it attempts to modernise its forces and maintain a strong position with regard to instability in central Africa, particularly its neighbour the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also needs to secure its offshore oil installations.
5. Country threat report
| Threat type | Overview |
| External | • Angola is facing no external military threat. • Maritime piracy within the Gulf of Guinea has been drastically increasing. Although this has as not yet affected Angola’s maritime zones of responsibility, it is something to take note of. |
| Internal | • Low scale insurgency in the Cabinda province by the FLEC. • Poor security is experienced in Angola’s rural areas due to crime and banditry. |
| Regional | • Military instability within the DRC could affect Angola’s foreign security policy design. |
| Political | • Urban poverty could lead to social instability • Choosing a successor to current president dos Santo’s could spark a destabilizing struggle within the ruling MPLA. |
| Economic | • Angola’s economy is highly dependent on revenue generated from oil and mineral exports. International price instability could lead to instability in the Angolan economy. |
Angolan Armed Forces address
Ministry of Defence
Rua 17 de Setembro
Luanda
Angola
Tel +244 222 337530/393929/339302
Fax +244 222 393929/333223
Note: The order of battle figures for Angola may not be completely accurate due to the varying serviceability of much of its equipment.
