Military and Security Forces
Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito de Boliviano, EB), Bolivian Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB); Ministry of Government: National Police (PolicÃa Nacional de Bolivia, PNB) (2022)
Military Service Age and Obligation
compulsory for all men between the ages of 18 and 22; men can volunteer from the age of 16, women from 18; service is for 12 months; Search and Rescue service can be substituted for citizens who have reached the age of compulsory military service; duration of this service is 24 months (2022)
Military and Security Service Personnel Strengths
information varies widely; approximately 40,000 active troops (28,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 7,000 Air Force); note - a considerable portion of the Navy personnel are marines and naval police; approximately 40,000 National Police (2022)
Military Equipment Inventories and Acquisitions
the Bolivian Armed Forces are equipped with a mix of mostly older Brazilian, Chinese, European, and US equipment; since 2010, China and France have been the leading suppliers of military hardware to Bolivia (2022)