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Benin Armed Forces
Flag of Benin
Service branches Army (l'Armée de Terre)
Benin Navy (Forces Navales Beninois, FNB)
Benin People's Air Force (Force Aerienne Populaire de Benin, FAPB)
National Gendarmerie
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief President Yayi Boni
Manpower
Active personnel 4750[1]
Expenditures
Percent of GDP 1% (2011)[1]
Industry
Foreign suppliers Flag of France France Flag of Russia Russia United States

The Benin Armed Forces (FAB) constitutes the army, navy, air force, and national gendarmerie of Benin. For a number of years, the Belgian Armed Forces have had an active programme of co-operation with Benin, offering training and coaching, donating redundant military equipment and using the county for limited military exercises.[2]

Army[]

3rd Company, Beninese Army soldiers on range at Bembèrèkè 2009-06-12 3

Beninese soldiers on a firing range at Bembèrèkè in June 2009

Beninese Army soldiers taking part in live fire exercise at Bembèrèkè 2009-06-16

Beninese soldiers training with a Type 56.

Beninese Army soldier racks his AK-47 at Bembèrèkè 2009-06-16

A Beninese soldier with a Type 56

As of 2012, the Army has a strength of 4300.[1] It includes 1 armoured squadron, 3 infantry battalions, 1 commando/airborne battalion, 1 artillery battery, and 1 engineer battalion.[1]

Equipment[]

Small Arms[]

Vehicles[]

Origin Type Versions In service Notes
PT-76 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union Light tank 18[1] operational status uncertain
Casspir Flag of South Africa South Africa Armored personnel carrier Casspir 2000 0 10 on order[5]
M8 Greyhound United States Armored car 7[1]
Véhicule Blindé Léger Flag of France France Light Armoured car 10[1]
BRDM-2 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union Light Armoured car 14[1]
M113 United States APC 22[1]
L118 Light Gun Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom Howitzer 12[1]
M101 howitzer United States Howitzer 4[1]

Air Force[]

After achieving independence from France in 1960 the Benin Airforce was transport equipped with seven French-supplied Douglas C-47s, four MH.1521 Broussards and two Agusta-Bell 47Gs. Two F-27s were entered service in 1978 for transport duties before being transferred to Air Benin. Also during the same era two AN-26s were acquired. In late 1985 two Dornier Do-28s entered service to replace the C-47s. A single DHC-6 Twin Otter was acquired in 1989.

The Benin Air Force maintains a small transport and utility fleet of 14 aircraft, including seven helicopters.

Aircraft Origin Type Versions In service[6][7] Notes
Helicopters
Agusta A109 Flag of Italy Italy scout/attack helicopter A109HO 2 5 delivered
Eurocopter AS 350 Ecureuil Flag of France France utility helicopter AS 350B 1 2 AS-350B+1 AS-355M delivered
Transports
Boeing 727 United States VIP-transport 727-256 Adv. 1 Acquired from Iberia and modified in 2007/08.[7]
British Aerospace HS.748 Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom transport HS.748 1 2 delivered
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Flag of Canada Canada transport DHC-6-300 1
Dornier Do 28 Flag of Germany Germany utility Do.28D-2 2
Douglas DC-3 United States transport C-47B 2 8 delivered
Aero Commander United States transport 500B 1
Surveillance
LH-10 Ellipse Flag of France France Surveillance Grand Duc 2[8] In service 2011

Beninese Air Force also has two An-26s, and one Boeing 707, but these are currently grounded.[9]

Navy[]

As at 2012 the navy has a strength of approximately 200 personnel. It operates two ex-Chinese patrol boats, which are designated the Matelot Brice Kpomasse class.[1]

References[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 IISS (2012), p. 422
  2. Mathurin C. Houngnikpo, Samuel Decalo, Historical Dictionary of Benin, 78.
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 Jane's Infantry Weapons 2007
  4. Photo Details. Marines.mil (16 June 2009). Retrieved on 2012-05-20.
  5. Benin purchases ten Casspir 2000 mine protected vehicles - Armyrecognition.com, 10 February 2013
  6. Aviation Week & Space Technology 2009, 26 January 2009 240. Web.11 August 2009. <http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/sourcebook/content.jsp?channelName=pro&story=xml/sourcebook_xml/2009/01/26/AW_01_26_2009_p0240-112924-15.xml&headline=World%20Military%20Aircraft%20Inventory%20-%20Benin>.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Airliners.net
  8. Afrique, Benin, Aeronautique, un avion pour la surveillance active, 21 November 2010
  9. Beninese military aviation OrBat
Works consulted
  • International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (2012). The Military Balance 2012. London: IISS. ISSN 0459-7222. 

PD-icon This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook website https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html.

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Benin Armed Forces and the edit history here.
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