Ghana Armed Forces
Index
1. Order of battle
2. Overview
3. Defence economics
4. State of military forces
5. Country threat report
6. External deployments
1. Order of Battle
| Total force strength | Army: 11 500 Navy: 2 000 Air: 2 000 |
| Army | |
| Reconnaissance | 3: EE-9 Cascavel |
| AIFV | 39: Ratel 20/90 |
| APC | 50: Piranha ? SISU XA-185 58 WZ-523/Type-05P 4: Casspir 20: Tactica |
| Towed artillery | 6: D-30 122 mm |
| Self-propelled artillery | 3: Type 81 122 mm |
| Mortar | 55: 81 mm 28: 120 mm Tampella |
| Multiple rocket launcher | Type 63 107 mm |
| Rocket launcher | 50: Carl Gustav 84 mm |
| Air defence gun | 4: ZPU-2/4 14.5 mm 4: ZU-23-2 23 mm |
| Air defence missile | ?: SA-7 Grail |
| Structure | 1 headquarters command 2 territorial commands (Northern and Southern Commands) 4 infantry brigades 1 reconnaissance regiment (3 reconnaissance squadron) 2 airborne/special forces companies 1 artillery regiment (1 artillery battery, 2 mortar batteries) 1 field engineer regiment 1 training battalion 1 signal regiment 1 transport battalion 1 support services brigade |
| Air Force | |
| Combat aircraft | 3: MB-326K (unserviceable) |
| Trainer aircraft | 4: K-8 Karakorum (combat capable) 2: L-39 (reported unserviceable) 2: MB-339 (reported unserviceable) |
| Maritime/EW/RECCE aircraft | 5: Diamond DA 42 |
| Transport aircraft | 1: BN-2 Defender 3: Cessna 172 4: F27 Friendship 2: C295 1: C212 |
| VIP aircraft | 1: F28 Fellowship 1: Falcon 900 |
| Transport helicopter | 4: Mi-17 6: Mi-17Shs (on order) 2: AW-109A 1: Bell 212 2: SA 319 Alouette 3 |
| Navy | |
| Patrol/Strike boat (Gun/Missile/OPV/IPV) | 2: Albatros class fast attack craft (Lurssen 45 m FPB45 type) 2: Gepard class 4: Snake class (Chinese) 2: Balsam class (Ex US Coast Guard) 1: Chamsuri class 2: Achimota (GER Lurssen 57m FPB 57 type) 2: Warrior class/Gepard class fast attack craft (ex-German) 1: Stephen Otu (ex-South Korean Chamsuri [Dolphin] class) 2: Anzone class transports (ex-USCG Balsam class seagoing buoy tenders) |
| Harbour/river patrol | 6: Defender class (US donated) |
2. Overview
President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces: John Dramani Mahama
Defence Minister: Benjamin Kumbuor
Chief of Defence Staff: Air Marshal Michael Samson-Oje
National Security Adviser: Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo Mensah
Chief of Army Staff: Brigadier General Richard Opoku-Adusei
Chief of Navy Staff: Rear Admiral Peter Kofi Faidoo
Chief of Air Staff: Air Vice Marshal Maxwell Mantsebi-Tei Nagai
Member of: UN, AU, Commonwealth, AfDB, IAEA, ICAO, ECOWAS, Seabeds Committee
3. 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
Ghana’s military is one of the most professional, experienced and well organised in Africa and is being modernised through a strategic plan approved by Parliament several years ago. This modernisation aims to improve the state of readiness of all three arms of service, allow for faster response to emergencies and improve the human resource base of the Ghana Armed Forces.
In addition, the modernisation plan requires the Ghana Armed Forces to be reorganised, re-equipped and retrained in order to protect the country’s vital oil sites, which are a major source of wealth. Consequently, major procurement projects were green-lighted in 2010 and have been followed by numerous purchases – in 2012 alone, the Ghana Navy took delivery of eight new vessels and over the last couple of years the country has received transport and surveillance aircraft and helicopters.
In light of Ghana’s recently discovered offshore oil and gas deposits, the country been reviewing measures to safeguard its waters, most importantly to protect its oil installations from pirate attacks. Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is not on the scale of that off Somalia, but is rising quickly. The country has set up a vessel traffic management and information system (VTMIS) to provide electronic monitoring of its entire coast. It continues to strengthen its navy and acquired two DA 42 surveillance aircraft configured for maritime surveillance. Ghana has also entered into agreements with its neighbours on ways to tackle piracy and armed robbery at sea.
In light of Ghana’s military modernisation, the defence budget has been expanded. For 2013 it was increased from GHS201 million to GHS575 million ($301 million) as the Ghana Armed Forces acquires new equipment, including small arms, armoured vehicles and more.
Ghana’s armed forces have not engaged in any external conflict since independence in 1957 but the country has been heavily involved in peacekeeping operations, notably in Sierra Leone and Liberia. This has given it valuable combat experience.
5. Country threat report
| Threat type | Overview |
| External | • None, although increasing incidence of maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is of concern. |
| Internal | • None, there are however occasional flare-ups of violence between rival chieftaincy’s concerning the use of natural resources, especially in the country’s northern and upper east regions. |
| Regional | • The security situation within Cote D’Ivoire may affect the country’s foreign security policy making. |
| Political | • Ghana is considered to be politically stable |
| Economic | • 50% of Ghana’s domestic economy resolves around services and any disruption to the country’s labour capabilities would have negative impact on the country’s economy. • 50% of Ghana’s exports are exported to South Africa and any disruption to these exports would negatively affect Ghana’s potential to generate income. |
6. External deployments
| Operation | Country | Personnel/assets |
| Peacekeeping | Mali | 120 troops (Mainly engineering capabilities) |
| Peacekeeping | Cote D’Ivoire | 507 |
| Peacekeeping | DRC | 460 |
| Peacekeeping | Lebanon | 800 |
| Peacekeeping | Liberia | 700 |
Contact:
Ministry of Defence
Burma Camp
Accra
Ghana
Tel: +233302775665
Fax: +233302772241
E-mail: [email protected]
