Benin Armed Forces

The Benin Armed Forces (French: Forces Armées Béninoises; 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 country for limited military exercises.[2]

Benin Armed Forces
Forces Armées Béninoises
Coat of arms of Benin
Founded1960
Service branchesArmy
Benin Navy
Benin Air Force
National Gendarmerie
Leadership
Commander-in-ChiefPatrice Talon
Minister of DefenceYarou Robert Theophile
Chief of the Defence StaffFructueux Gbaguidi
Personnel
ConscriptionNo
Active personnel4,750[1]
Expenditures
Budget$US73 million (2011)[1]
Percent of GDP1% (2011)[1]
Industry
Foreign suppliersUnited States United States
Russia Russia
France France
Related articles
RanksMilitary ranks of Benin

History

The constitution of 11 December 1990 ordered the Benin Armed Forces to ensure effective, permanent and efficient security coverage of the territory, as well as border vigilance.

The national gendarmerie no longer exists since 2019. It has been merged with the national police.

Branches

Army

As of 2012, the Army had a strength of 4,300.[1] It includes 1 armoured squadron, 3 infantry battalions, 1 commando/airborne battalion, 1 artillery battery, and 1 engineer battalion, and 1 National Fire Brigade.[1] The army has the following units:

  • 1st Parachute Commando Battalion
  • 1st Motorized Intervention Battalion
  • 1st Armoured Group
  • National Group of Firefighters
  • 1st Combined Arms Battalion
  • 2nd Combined Arms Battalion
  • 3rd Combined Arms Battalion
  • 7th Combined Arms Battalion
  • 8th Combined Arms Battalion
  • 1st Mixed Artillery Battalion
  • 1st Engineer Battalion
  • 1st Signal Battalion
  • 1st Materiel Battalion
  • 1st Train Battalion
  • Headquarters Group

Air Force

After achieving independence from France in 1960 the Benin Air Force was transport equipped with seven French-supplied Douglas C-47s, four MH.1521 Broussards and two Agusta-Bell 47Gs. Two F-27s 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.

As of 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]

Republican Guard

The Republican Guard is responsible for the security of the President of the Republic, ministers, members of the government, institutions of the Republic and their leader.

Equipment

Infantry weapons
Name Origin Type Variant Notes
Small arms
TT pistol[3]  Soviet Union Semi-automatic pistol
MAT-49[3]  France Submachine gun
AKM[3]  Soviet Union Assault rifle
AK-47[3]  Soviet Union Assault rifle AK-103, AK-12, RPK-74
Type 56[4]  China Assault rifle
MAS-36 rifle[3]  France Bolt-action rifle
SKS[3]  Soviet Union Semi-automatic rifle
MAS-49 rifle[3]  France Semi-automatic rifle
AA-52[3]  France General-purpose machine gun
Degtyaryov[3]  Soviet Union General-purpose machine gun RP-46
RPD[3]  Soviet Union General-purpose machine gun
DShK[3]  Soviet Union Heavy machine gun
M2 Browning[3]  United States Heavy machine gun M2HB, M2HB-QCB
RPG-7  Soviet Union Rocket-propelled grenade

Heavy weapons
Beninese soldiers training with Type 56s.
Name Origin Type In service Notes
Armored fighting vehicle
PT-76  Soviet Union Light tank 18[5]
Eland-90  South Africa Armored car 3[6] provided with French training[7][8]
BRDM-2  Soviet Union Armored car 14[5]
M8 Greyhound  United States Anti-armor vehicle 7[5]
VAB  France VAB 15
Panhard VBL  France Armored car 10[5]
M113  United States Armoured personnel carrier 22[5]
ACMAT Bastion  France Armoured personnel carrier 2[5]
Casspir 2000  South Africa Armoured personnel carrier 10[5]
Artillery
LLR 81mm  France Mortar Unknown[5]
L118 Light Gun  United Kingdom Howitzer 12[5]
M101 howitzer  United States Howitzer 4[5]

Aircraft
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Transport
Boeing 727  United States VIP transport 1[9]
DHC-6 Twin Otter  Canada Utility transport 1[10]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Military of Benin.
  1. IISS (2012), p. 422
  2. Mathurin C. Houngnikpo, Samuel Decalo, Historical Dictionary of Benin, 78.
  3. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2007
  4. Photo Details. Marines.mil (16 June 2009). Retrieved on 2012-05-20.
  5. International Institute for Strategic Studies (2021). The Military Balance. p. 450. ISBN 9781032012278.
  6. DIO blindé au Bénin
  7. "Senegal Instruction Operationelle Au Profit Des Forces Armees Beninoises".
  8. Republique du Benin Archived 3 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Benin Government B-727". xairforces.net. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  10. "World Air Forces 2021". Flightglobal Insight. 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
Works consulted
  • International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (2012). The Military Balance 2012. London: IISS. ISSN 0459-7222.

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