Rwanda Defence Force
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: 32 000 Air: 1 000 Paramilitary: 2 000 |
| Army | |
| Armour | 24: T- 55/54 |
| Reconnaissance | 12: VBL M11 106: AML-60/90 |
| AIFV | 35: Ratel 60/90 |
| APC | 25: RG-31 Nyala 20: RG-32 Scout 12: M-3 20: ZFB-05 |
| Towed artillery | 29: Type-54 105 mm 6: D-30 152 mm |
| Multiple Rocket Launcher | 5: RM-70 Dana 122 mm 5: Lynx |
| Mortar | 115: 81/82/120 mm |
| Anti-tank | Blindicide 83 mm |
| Air defence gun | 150: 14.5/23/37 mm |
| Structure | 1st Division (HQ in Kigali, Central/Eastern regional command) 2nd Division (HQ in Byumba (Northern/Eastern regional command) 3rd Division (HQ Gisenyi, Northern/Western regional command) 4th Division (HQ in Butare, Southern/Western regional command) |
| Air Force | |
| Transport aircraft | 3: An-8 Camp (reported) 1: BN-2A Islander (reported) |
| VIP aircraft | 1: B707 (reported) 1: Gulfstream G550 1: Bombardier Global Express |
| Combat helicopter | 5: Mi-24 Hind |
| Transport helicopter | 9: Mi-17 Hip 4: SA 342 A |
2. Overview
Head of State: President Paul Kagame
Prime Minister: Pierre Damien Habumuremyi
Minister of Defence and National Security: General James Kabarebe
Chief of Defence Staff: Lieutenant General Patrick Nyamvumba
Chief of Staff of the Army: Major Gen Jacques Musemakweli
Chief of Staff of the Air Force: Brigadier General Joseph Demali
Commander of the Republican Guard: MajOR Gen Alex Kagame
Member of: UN, AU, EAC, AfDB etc.
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
The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) is made up of the High Command Council, General Staff, the Rwanda Land Force, the Rwanda Air Force and specialized inter-service units. The RDF’s mission is to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and defend its territorial integrity, cooperate with other security institutions in keeping and restoring law and order and enforcing the law, responding to disasters and participating in national development.
The Rwandan army is small yet well trained and responsive to elected officials, thanks to aggressive efforts to professionalise the service. This professionalism is assisted by peacekeeping experience in places like Darfur and Liberia. Foreign countries, notably the US and UK, have assisted the RDF in capacity building and peacekeeping deployment.
Defence spending continues to be high due to security concerns along the borders with Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Rwanda has been accused of supporting rebels in the DRC (notably the M23 movement) by the United Nations and other organisations.
5. Country threat report
| Threat type | Overview |
| External | • Incursions into Rwanda by the DRC based FDLR has been reported by the Rwandese government in late 2012. • Fighting between government, UN and rebel groups in the eastern DRC has reportedly spilled over into Rwanda after several mortar shells landed in Rwanda. The Rwandan government claims they were fired by the DRC military. |
| Internal | • Several grenade attacks against the local populace have occurred over the last 5 years with no specific group claiming responsibility. |
| Regional | • The internal security situations in the DRC, Uganda, and Burundi may affect Rwanda’s foreign security policy. |
| Political | • Rwanda is currently considered to be politically stable. |
| Economic | • 90% of Rwanda’s populace is engage in subsistence farming and agriculture accounted for 33% of the country’s GDP in 2012 while its industrial sector accounted for 16%. • Rwanda’s services sector accounted for 43.6% of GDP in 2010. |
6. External deployments
| Operation | Country | Personnel/assets |
| Peacekeeping | Haiti (MINUSTAH) | Police: 180 |
| Peacekeeping | Sudan/Darfur (UNAMID) | Police: 212 Experts on Mission: 11 Troops: 3240 |
| Peacekeeping | South Sudan (UNMISS) | Police: 45 Experts on Mission: 3 Troops: 967 |
Contact:
Ministry of National Defence
PO Box 23
Kigali
Rwanda
Phone : +250 252577942
E-mail : [email protected]
Website : www.mod.gov.rw
