Military and Security Forces
Army (L'Armee de Terre), Navy (Marine Nationale Republique, MNR, includes naval infantry or fusiliers marin), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC), Rapid Intervention Battalion (Bataillons d’Intervention Rapide or BIR), National Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard (2023)the National Police and the National Gendarmerie are responsible for internal security; the Police report to the General Delegation of National Security, while the Gendarmerie reports to the Secretariat of State for Defense in charge of the Gendarmeriethe Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) maintains its own command and control structure and reports directly to the president; the BIR is structured as a large brigade with up to 9 battalions, detachments, or groups consisting of infantry, airborne/airmobile, amphibious, armored reconnaissance, counterterrorism, and support elements, such as artillery and intelligence; the BIR receives better training, equipment, and pay than regular Army units
Military Service Age and Obligation
18-23 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years (2023)
Military and Security Service Personnel Strengths
information varies; approximately 35-40,000 active-duty troops (20-25,000 ground forces, including the Rapid Intervention Battalion/BIR and Presidential Guard; 2,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 12,000 Gendarmerie) (2023)
Military Equipment Inventories and Acquisitions
the FAC inventory includes a wide mix of mostly older or second-hand Chinese, Russian, and Western equipment, with a limited quantity of more modern weapons received in recent years from such countries as China, France, and Russia (2023)
Military Deployments
750 (plus about 350 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (May 2022)